Kyushu onsen hopping
Bathing in a traditional Japanese onsen was an experience we’d missed on our previous visit to the country.
With it’s location along the ‘Ring of Fire’, Japan has thousands of naturally occurring hot-springs or onsens. The culture of onsen bathing is centuries old, Samurai used the water to heal their wounds and communal bathhouses were common in most towns and villages during the Edo period. Now though the timeless tradition of onsen bathing is more a luxurious, relaxing experience, one to enjoy at leisure rather than for practical purposes.
Kurokawa Onsen, one of Kyushu’s most scenic hot-spring towns, famed for it’s lotenburo (outdoor hot-spring baths) is tucked away in the Oguni hills and was just a short bus ride away from our hiking base in Aso, just the thing for a gloomy, overcast grey day.
Our bus climbed upwards through thick, dark forests of pine, where breaks in the trees provided misty views over golden tipped trees far below in the Aso valley, ringed by the outer edges of the huge Aso caldera.
Arriving in Kurokawa Onsen was like being transported to a place from a fairytale. Just a few narrow lanes on a steep hillside above a fast flowing crystal clear river. All the buildings are traditional Japanese wood panelled with rice paper windows through which golden lights glow. They sat amidst Japanese maple trees magnificent in their full autumn colours, pale gold, through copper and deep russet to a fabulous rich red. With the addition of the blanket of mist casting a gentle atmospheric otherworldliness to the scene, it was magical.
It was a complete disconnect from the outside world, no neon, no chain stores, no 7-Eleven just small local cafes & the occasional handmade craft stall. It was also very peaceful with only a few people wandering quietly around the streets, all looking slightly hot and a little damp around the edges.
Unlike the larger, commercial hot-springs towns, here all the 30 or so ryokans open their baths through the ‘Nyuto Tegata’ (onsen hopping pass). And even this is tasteful, no naff fluorescent wristband in sight, the pass is a circular cedar plaque on which you receive a colourful stamp from each of your chosen three ryokan. Hundreds of them are hung outside the Jizoson Buddhist temple on dedicated wooden posts left by contented bathers at the end of their day.
The hardest thing was figuring out which onsens to visit. They all looked so inviting.
We eventually settled on Ikoi Ryokan at the far end of the picturesque village. Nestled amidst trees and overlooking the river, it was our favourite onsen of the three. Placing our shoes on the shelves at the doorway (next to where hot-spring cooked eggs could be purchased), we padded down wood-panelled corridors, where beautiful signs in kanji script gave us no clue where we were going, until we found the blue noren (linen curtain) for the men’s onsen and the sign upstairs for the women’s. I padded along more wooden floors until I reached the red noren behind which I found a small wood-panelled changing room with wicker baskets. I was happy to see only a couple were full. The changing room overlooked a small, deep pool with suspended bamboo poles for leaning on while standing in the hot water. I douched myself with water and stepped into the hot, steamy pool. Bliss. With the water up to my neck and arms draped over the bars, I was like a gymnast on the parallel bars (the 80 degree heat of the water may have gone to my head at that point). Most baths are only deep enough for sitting so this one was very different. Feeling the need to sit down, I headed down the cool, stone steps to the other pool, where two Japanese girls were just leaving. I had this one to myself as well! It was so relaxing, nestled against the rocks that encircled the pool, a timber roof overhead and the panels screening it from view letting in chinks of sunlight onto the rippling water. A constant stream of hot water gushed from bamboo pipes embedded in the rocks, with the gurgling water and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze the only sounds I could hear. Wonderfully calming. A place to empty your mind and just be.
I eventually emerged from my sanctuary and returned downstairs, glowing and content, to meet Simon who returned beaming and declared himself an onsen convert.
Our second onsen at Shimeikan was accessed across a small wooden foot-bridge over the Tanoharin River. This unique onsen is carved into the rocks right on the edge of the river, completely different to any of the others. The women’s onsen was a tiny labyrinth of caves chiseled from the rocks and I felt like a hobbit, crouching down to duck under the passageways and paddle through the hot, steaming water to reach the small ledges on which to perch. The walls glistened with steam droplets. Pure white at the top, with rings of green where the hot water laps the sides & dark and moody below the water level. An interesting place, but glad I was alone as it was very small and the usual etiquette of keeping your distance would have been very hard to maintain. It was also very hot with little outside air getting in, more akin to a sauna. I didn’t stay too long in this one. Simon said that as well as a similar tiny cave, the men also had a lovely pool with a view of the river. I think he got the best deal here.
At the start of the day, we’d thought to just do two onsen and use our remaining pass for some food, but we were enjoying it so much we bought a snack and did all three.
The final one was Fumoto Ryokan. Here we donned indoor slippers at the entrance and crossed the river via a small glass enclosed bridge, with lovely views down the cascading weirs, to reach the onsen. The women’s was upstairs again. Steep stone steps, tricky in slippery wooden sandals, up to a pool surrounded by tall bamboo and open to the sky. It was like being emersed in a lovely warm outdoor bath, mist rising from its milky mineral-rich waters, the breeze rippling through the bamboo leaves and red autumnal maple leaves fluttering down into the water. It was so peaceful and I was lucky to have it to myself again for the majority of the time. There seemed to be a lot fewer women bathing than men as Simon rarely had any time alone.
Naked bathing in public goes against all uptight British sensibilities but this felt completely natural. It was a far cry from the noise and splashing that happens in Tajikistan hot-springs. The Japanese have taken the art of onsen bathing to a different level, here it’s a calm, tranquil practice to relax both mind and body. This was quintessential Japan and, we both agreed, a heavenly experience.
We had hoped there might be some mixed onsen in Kurokawa but the tradition of konyoku has all but disappeared, modern thinking deeming it inappropriate for the sexes to bathe together where once it was common across all of Japan. But never mind, we had our own private onsen to look forward to.
For our twentieth wedding anniversary we decided to treat ourselves to a couple of nights in a traditional ryokan, and this was where we headed after our wonderful, relaxing day in Kurakawa Onsen. We arrived at Shinwaen Ryokan, on the outskirts of Aso at dusk and left the outside world behind us for a few days.
Our kimono-clad hostess led us along tree lined pathways where pools of golden light illuminated the way to our cottage. Inside was traditionally Japanese: tatami mats and cushioned floor chairs, sliding shoji doors, multiple pairs of slippers for indoors, outdoors & the bathroom and a set of jade & red yukatas for wearing around the ryokan, complete with little grey socks with toes. Outside in our own perfect mini garden was our private stone onsen, hot steam billowing upwards in the light, a pile of pure white onsen towels waiting alongside.
First though, was dinner. Dressed in our yukatas we shuffled (in our wooden slippers) off to our private dining room where a traditional ‘kaiseki ryori’ multi-course meal awaited. It was amazing. Ten courses of exquisitly presented deliciousness. We weren’t entirely sure what everything was even when we’d eaten it & with the help of a menu, but everything was fabulous. Dishes appeared every few minutes all looking like works of art served in beautiful laquerware pots and tiny ceramic dishes. It took us over 2 hours to finish.
And then a relaxing sake nightcap in our onsen. A perfect end to a perfect day. A pretty good way to celebrate our anniversary.
After a breakfast banquet of five courses, including eggs & bacon Japanese style, we ventured to the ryoken’s public onsen. A steamy pool of heated spring water surrounded by glorious autumnal trees where birds sang beneath a beautiful clear, blue sky. Delightful. And here I could just don my yukata and slippers and toddle off back to our cottage.
Our second night’s dinner included yakiniku, after the appetiser and starter. We received a huge platter of thinly sliced akaushi beef along with a whole heap of vegetables to sizzle on our table-top iron plate. This proved a tad tricky in a yukata with enormous sleeves that seemed destined to be either dipped in sauce or set alight and with chopsticks as our only cooking tools. But this just made it even more entertaining, as did the bottle of wine and homemade Umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur), and we demolished the lot. Well, it was just too delicious not to. They definitely don’t let you go hungry here. We waddled back to our cottage, feeling rather full, for another late night dip in our onsen and the last of our sake.
We spent our time at Shinwaen doing nothing much. Eating, a lot. Drinking, a lot. Bathing, a lot. And most of it in my dressing gown and slippers! It was just as we hoped it would be, relaxing, peaceful and rejuvenating.
How to go about creating an onsen at home…….
Helen (18th November 2025)
Sounds like a very relaxing and filling experience xx
Both of those, a fabulous few days.
Wow I will have to get hot tub for you in my garden. What a wonderful experience I wish I was still there in my ryokan, slippers and all.
The photo of you 2 is beautiful you both look really well. X X
Our Dales garden is going to need a lot of room for all the things we want in it. An onsen is very high on the list.
Sounds heavenly, and much morr picturesque than the onsens we visited.
A magical few days. Could do with a few of these every month
Happy anniversary, what a very special place, and so beautiful in the autumn colours. It all sounds heavenly x
Thank you. A wonderful few days, it was such a treat.