## Fumoto Ryokan, Kurokawa Onsen - A Northern Kyushu Trip
From Yufuin to Kurokawa Onsen, there are three daily bus services: 9:00 AM, 1:50 PM, and 2:50 PM.
A quick note on bus reservations: While online booking is available, it requires credit card payment beforehand, which isn't ideal. We don't recommend it unless it's peak season and you need to secure a seat days in advance. Our suggested method is to ask the front desk at your accommodation (like Yufuin Sansuikan, where we stayed) to call and book for you upon check-in. This typically secures a seat for the next day, and it's usually successful unless it's peak season. Phone reservations don't require pre-payment; you can simply pay on the bus. The contact number is 0570-09-3533 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM).
The bus ride takes a little over 1.5 hours and costs 2200 JPY. (Refer to Photo 1 for the timetable.) The bus also makes a brief stop at a rest area just before reaching Kurokawa Onsen.
The ryokan provides a pick-up service from the bus stop. If you're unable to contact them beforehand, don't worry – it's an easy 10-minute walk to the ryokan from the bus stop using Google Maps. It's not far, and you can enjoy the charming onsen town scenery on your way.
The ryokan's main entrance is located directly opposite a cream puff shop, which coincidentally shares the same name, 'Fumoto.' Be aware that the entrance can be easily missed, as many tourists often gather in front of the cream puff shop, potentially blocking the view of the ryokan's discreet, Japanese-only sign (see Photo 4).
There's no need to use the ryokan's public baths; the women's outdoor section, in particular, tends to be quite cold. Instead, the ryokan boasts a large number of private baths, ranging from small to large. As the ryokan has a limited number of rooms and is generally not overcrowded, you'll almost always find an available private onsen. A highlight is the unique 'Tachi-yu' (standing bath), where you can literally stand in water up to 1.6 meters deep.
Kurokawa Onsen is a very compact town, so booking a plan that includes both breakfast and dinner is highly recommended; otherwise, finding dining options can be challenging. The meals provided by the ryokan were excellent and definitely worth trying.
Although we were a group of three, there wasn't a specific room option for that number of guests, so we regrettably ended up paying for an 'extra person's fee'.
Our rooms were quite spacious. We stayed in rooms named 'Taka' (Hawk) and 'Kiri' (Mist), which offered views of the mountains and a pleasant stream flowing right outside the window.
The ryokan staff were all young and extremely friendly, with some even being Chinese speakers.
Overall, if you're looking to experience the charm of a traditional onsen town, Fumoto Ryokan is an excellent choice.
- Liwei9lvyou
We booked a Japanese-style room in the main building. The room felt quite spacious, functioning as a living room by day and converting into a tatami bedroom at night. Although the bathroom was small, it featured excellent wet/dry separation.
During our stay, even though it was a fully booked weekend, we could always find an available private hot spring bath, choosing between the outdoor rotenburo and indoor options. My absolute favorite was the open-air bath; soaking in it with a gentle breeze was incredibly relaxing, and despite it being summer, I didn't feel overly hot.
A special mention goes to the yukatas provided daily; they were incredibly stylish, and we could choose our preferred design.
We opted for the half-board plan (one night, two meals), and over our three-day stay, the dinners were never repetitive. The main courses—from the Wagyu shabu-shabu on the first day, to the exquisite Kaiseki dinner on the second, and the snow crab shabu-shabu on the third—were all incredibly delicious.
The hotel offers a shuttle service to/from the station and assistance with booking onward travel and tickets, though these services require advance booking.
Highly recommended!
- yxyzhou
