Kurokawa Onsen Oku No Yu

Great experience living in a ryokan in the rural areas of Kyushu. Location was secluded which was great for time away from the bustling city, but was confusing to get to when arriving at night. Staff were very polite despite their lack of English proficiency. One area of improvement could be to provide suggestions on places to visit in the onsen village. The baths were warm and soothing, the private baths were a tad small though. Dinner and breakfast was great as well. Overall a positive ryokan experience.

Our one night stay at Ryokan Okunoyu, Kurokawa Onsen was the highlight of our trip. Nestled in the green mountain terrain and flanked by rivers, the hotel took special care of us - helping to park our car, with luggage and providing the correct-sized yukatas and haoris not just for us but for our 8 and 11yo children. The tatami room which had both western and Japanese style sleeping arrangements, in the main building, was spacious and we had a fantastic view of the greenery and falling snow outside. There were a number of Onsen available - even family baths and a swimming pool. Our favourite was the riverside bath. So atmospheric with the falling snow! The kaiseki dinner was plentiful, delicious and beautifully presented. Even the children got to barbecue their own hino beef. We really appreciated the warm care from Okunoyu’s team - anticipating all our needs and also helping us plot our drive on to our destination (the regular road was blocked by snow). Highly recommended for a warm family stay in a traditional ryokan. We also enjoyed walking around the shops in the town area. All the little lanes connected to small bath houses and bigger ryokan.

This stay was truly a wonderful experience. The hotel staff were polite, and there was a complimentary shuttle service to the nearest bus station. The food was delicious and fresh, and the hot springs were very relaxing. The surrounding environment was peaceful, with beautiful scenery. It is truly a highly recommended hot spring hotel.