A Quick Guide to Kurokawa Onsen, Aso’s Famous Hot Spring Resort
Kurokawa Onsen is an onsen town near Mt. Aso in the Kyushu Region of Japan. This onsen town has many traditional ryokan, public bathhouses, cafes, shops, and nearby hiking. Kurokawa is known for its incredible hot springs, many of which are located by the Tanohara River.
I first visited Kurokawa Onsen in the fall and quickly realized it is a premier destination for autumn foliage and enjoying a relaxing day of onsen hopping. It has since become a place I recommend to anyone looking to get out of the cities or most visited cities in Japan and enjoy a calm, nature-filled environment.
Despite being a small town, Kurokawa Onsen is near other popular places to visit in Kyushu such as Yufuin, Beppu, Oita, and Mt. Aso, making it a nice place for an overnight stay if you are also planning to visit at least one of these places.
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen by Public Transportation
Kurokawa Onsen doesn’t have any direct train service, but you can get there by highway bus from a few cities in Kyushu.
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen from Fukuoka: From Fukuoka Airport, you can take the direct highway bus to Kurokawa Onsen, which takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes. From Hakata Station in Fukuoka, you can take a direct highway bus from the Nishitetsu Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal or the Hakata Bus Terminal. The Fukuoka-Hita-Kurokawa Bus takes 2 hours 30 minutes from Hakata Station.
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen from Kumamoto: The fastest way to get to Kurokawa Onsen from Kumamoto is by taking the JR Hohi Line from Kumamoto Station to Higo-Ozu Station. From there, you’ll transfer to Ozu Station Minamiguchi to take the highway bus to Kurokawa Onsen. The entire journey takes around 2 hours 30 minutes. However, I recommend taking the Kumamoto Airport Limousine Bus from Kumamoto Station so you don’t have to transfer. It takes around 3 hours, but will likely end up saving time because you won’t have to wait for the bus or worry about missing it.
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen from Beppu: From Beppu Station, you can take the Kumamoto-Airport Limousine Bus, which takes around 2 hours 45 minutes and makes roughly 12 stops to get to the Kurokawa Onsen bus stop. From there, you have a 5-minute walk to reach the center of town.
These highway buses must be booked in advance. You can do so on the Japan Highway Bus website or at the bus station of your initial location.
How to Get to Kurokawa Onsen by Car
The easiest way to get to Kurokawa Onsen is by car, which is what we’ve done when visiting Kurokawa Onsen. However, if you aren’t comfortable driving in Japan, I definitely recommend taking the highway bus because it’s still very convenient. If traveling by car, make sure you park in one of the free parking lots around the city. These can fill up quickly so I recommend getting there before 10 am if possible.
Here are a few parking lots in Kurokawa Onsen to choose from:
Where to Stay in Kurokawa Onsen
Kurokawa Onsen is home to several small, traditional ryokan that enhance your experience in Kurokawa. In my opinion, staying at a ryokan here is a must, even though we’ve only been able to take day trips here so far due to our schedule. Here are some ryokan that are on our list to stay at in Kurokawa Onsen.
- Yamamizuki: A stunning ryokan with beautiful architecture and lovely outdoor baths situated in the forest surrounded by trees. // MAP
- Ikoi Ryokan: A quaint ryokan with over 13 onsen experiences to choose from, including their well-known “waterfall onsen.” // MAP
- Okyakuya Ryokan: A very historic ryokan dating back to 1722 with beautiful rooms and onsen. // MAP
- Oyado Noshiyu: Beautiful mossy gardens with 11 unique rooms that feel very private and quaint. // MAP
Places to Eat in Kurokawa Onsen
If you choose to stay at a ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen, your breakfast and dinner are typically included as part of the cost. But here are a few places to eat in Kurokawa Onsen for those taking a day trip to Kurokawa Onsen or staying somewhere else nearby.
- Irori: A small izakaya that offers a variety of local dishes including gyoza, yakisoba, tempura, tofu dishes, and more. Dinner only.
- Sumiyoshi: Offers several comforting dishes, including oyakodon (chicken and egg over rice) and various types of udon.
- Yosyuku: Fantastic rice noodle lunch set options made with locally sourced ingredients. A few of their specialty dishes include hamburg steak, Akaushi beef, katsudon (fried pork cutlet over rice), beef udon, and fried tofu udon. Lunch only.
- Au Pan & Coffee: A lovely shop to get a coffee and bread to enjoy in the morning. They have many sweet and savory options perfect for a light breakfast or snack.
The Best Things to Do in Kurokawa Onsen
Go Hot Spring Hopping at Local Ryokan
Even if you only take a day trip to Kurokawa Onsen, you can still enjoy the hot springs! Kurokawa Onsen has 28 hot springs, and most are within walking distance of the tourist information center. These hot springs have been renowned for over 300 years for their mineral-rich healing properties.
If you want to visit the hot springs at the local ryokan, you can purchase a nyuto tegata for 1,500 yen at the Tourist Information Center. The pass allows access to 3 onsen of your choice, with 25 locations participating. When you find a ryokan whose onsen you want to visit, you can show them your nyuto tegata, and they’ll remove one of the three stickers and replace it with their stamp.
Public bathing hours are generally 8:30 a.m.- 9 p.m., but not every onsen is open every day, and hours may vary. I highly recommend getting a physical map from the Tourist Information Center when you get your tegata or looking at the map online, which offers live updates of hours, crowd status, and more.
Additionally, I recommend bringing your own towel because they’re not typically provided. However, if you don’t have one, you can purchase one for a small fee and take it to each location. I also recommend starting your onsen hopping around 10:30 – 11 a.m., which is after check-out at most ryokan but also before check-in. That way the onsen will likely be less crowded!
Choosing which 3 onsen to visit is definitely overwhelming because each of them has incredible features. I tend to prioritize outdoor open-air baths because they offer a unique experience, but indoor onsen are also quite lovely and relaxing. Yamamizuki has one of the most stunning outdoor open-air baths, which truly feels like you’re one with nature. But they have great indoor baths too. Kiyashiki has indoor baths and outdoor open-air baths, Manten no Yu and Hana no Yu, which have beautiful seasonal scenery. Yamabiko has a superb atmosphere, especially in the fall with the autumn leaves changing. Regardless of which onsen you choose to visit, I can assure you that you’ll have a wonderful time relaxing!
Before visiting, take a look at each of the bath options on the Tourist Information Center website. Furthermore, consider where each is located. If you have a car, some options farther from the town center might be easier to reach. If you are taking public transportation, you might have a longer walk.
Some of the onsen have konyoku, or mixed-gender bath options. The konyoku baths are at Okunoyu, Ikoi Ryokan, Yamanoyado Shinmeikan, and Sanga Ryokan.
Try The Pastries at Pâtisserie Roku
Pâtisserie Roku is a small pastry shop that makes all of its pastries with locally sourced ingredients from the Aso area. Before visiting, I knew we had to stop to get one of their legendary cream puffs to share. For a small onsen town, Pâtisserie Roku is well known among nearby locals and often a place that small tour groups visit, so we had to wait in a short line to get a cream puff. But it was absolutely worth the wait. The choux was lightly crispy and sweet, and the cream was silky and luxurious! I instantly wished we had ordered another.
Location: 6610-1 Manganji, Minamioguni, Aso District, Kumamoto 869-2402, Japan // MAP
Go Shopping At the Local Stores
Kurokawa Onsen has several local shops that are perfect for buying souvenirs and snacks. One of my favorites is Terakoya Senbei, which specializes in senbei, Japanese rice crackers. Anytime I see a senbei shop, I’m always drawn in by the scent of roasted rice crackers and buy one to enjoy while there, plus a few to take with me.
A cute stop in Kurokawa Onsen is the Rilakkuma Store, which sells all things Rilakkuma and friends! You can also purchase Kurokawa Onsen limited items.
I love shopping for Japanese pottery, and the Kyushu Region has some of the best. If you are looking for a place to peruse pottery in Kurokawa Onsen. then I recommend making a stop at Igozakatouan Pottery Store. It’s a small store, but they have many unique pieces.
Raifu Gift and Curio Shop is just a bit outside of the main area but not too far to walk from these other stores. They have a lot of handmade pottery pieces and other souvenirs.
Enjoy A Dorayaki from Dora Dora
Traditionally, dorayaki consists of two small pancakes with sweet red bean paste sandwiched in the middle. But at Dora Dora, you can try dorayaki with red bean paste AND mochi in the middle. The mochi is filled with a variety of cream flavors like matcha, kinako (roasted soybean flour), and regular cream. The cream is made from Jersey milk from local Aso cows.
We tried the regular cream and kinako flavors, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them since! The dorayaki is made fresh daily in the shop, and once they sell out, they close up shop, so be sure to get one while you can!
Location: Japan, 〒869-2402 Kumamoto, Aso District, Minamioguni, Manganji, 北黒川６６１２−２ // MAP
Visit the Small Kurokawa Jizosan Temple
We visited Kurokawa Onsen in the fall when the ginkgo leaves had just turned a brilliant shade of yellow, which made our stop at Kurokawa Jizosan Temple even more picturesque. It’s a small temple, but located on a lovely little street with nice scenery all around.
After visiting three onsen with your nyuto tegata, you can choose to keep it as a souvenir or tie it up at Kurokawa Jizosan Temple.
Location: 6612-2 Manganji, Minamioguni, Aso District, Kumamoto 869-2402, Japan // MAP
Try An Onsen Egg
Around town, you’ll see hot spring water flowing through various water features. If you look closely, you’ll notice some of them contain eggs! These eggs are cooked in the hot spring water, and for around 100 yen, you can try one! These eggs are from local chickens and have delicious, creamy yolks! It’s a perfect snack to enjoy while walking around Kurokawa Onsen.
Take The Short Hike to Meoto Falls
Just outside the center of town, you’ll find Meoto Falls. These two small waterfalls meet in the Tanoharu River, symbolizing a love that will always cross paths. Meoto Falls is very popular with couples for the harmony of the two waterfalls. At a small shop near the entrance, you can buy a charm and write the names of you and your partner, and tie it up on the staircase for good luck in your relationship and everlasting love.
The hike to Meoto Falls is short, maybe 10 minutes from the parking area, but it does contain a lot of stairs. It had recently rained when we visited and noticed that the stairs were slippery, so be mindful of the shoes you wear and hold the handrails while on the stairs!
Location: Manganji, Minamioguni, Aso District, Kumamoto 869-2402, Japan // MAP
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