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Kurokawa Onsen is tucked into the Tanoharu river valley in the hills north of Aso, in Minamioguni, Kumamoto — about 2 hr 15 min to 3 hr from Fukuoka by direct highway bus. There are some thirty ryokan; the village itself runs along the Tanoharu stream, lined with wooden inns and shops, while a few ryokan sit further out in Oku-Kurokawa and on the Senomoto plateau. In 1986 the town took down some 200 mismatched signs and replaced them with shared, uniform signposts. Its best-known idea is the nyuto tegata: a wooden pass made from thinned Oguni cedar and cypress (¥1,500 for adults) that lets you choose three open-air baths from about 25 ryokan — or two baths plus one food or souvenir stop. Autumn colour and the winter evening lantern light-up are both lovely. Pick a ryokan, stroll at night, and come back for one more soak.

From Fukuoka
About 2.5–3 hr from Hakata by direct highway bus
Ryokan in videos
33, 17 with in-room open-air baths

Featured videos

Routes
Sights
Season
Routes and sights

Routes

Bath-hopping with the tegata
Buy the pass and pick up tourist information at Kaze-no-ya, choose three contrasting baths (say, a cave bath and a riverside one), and take a break on Igo-zaka. Hours vary by ryokan, and baths can stop taking visitors for cleaning, works or weather, so check the 'day-bathing status' (日帰り入浴状況) page on the ryokan association's site first.
Nyuto tegata & Kaze-no-ya → Jizo-yu & Jizo-do → Igo-zaka slope → Anayu
Winter night lantern walk
After dinner, throw a jacket over your yukata and walk along the stream to see the lanterns. At about 700 m up, winter nights are cold, so wrap up.
Yuakari light-up → Anayu → Jizo-yu & Jizo-do
Aso & Oguni drive
Before check-in or after check-out: Daikanbo for the Aso panorama, then walk behind Nabegataki Falls (book online in advance).
Daikanbo lookout → Nabegataki Falls

Sights

Nyuto tegata & Kaze-no-ya 入湯手形・風の舎
Sold at the Kaze-no-ya information centre (9:00–17:00) and the ryokan: a wooden pass of thinned Oguni cedar and cypress, ¥1,500 for adults, good for three open-air baths chosen from about 25 ryokan (or two baths plus one food or souvenir stop), valid for six months from purchase. Each ryokan stamps it with its own design; afterwards keep it as a souvenir or leave it as an offering at the village's Jizo-do.
Jizo-yu & Jizo-do 地蔵湯・地蔵堂
A little Jizo shrine (Jizo-do) in the centre of the village, where used tegata passes can be left as offerings.
Anayu 穴湯
A communal bath in the village.
Igo-zaka slope いご坂
The village's main slope — steep, lined with places to eat and souvenir shops.
Yuakari light-up 湯あかり
On winter evenings about 300 round bamboo 'mari' lanterns and 2 m tube lanterns light up the stream. Dates are announced each year: the 2025–26 season ran 20 Dec 2025 – 31 Mar 2026, and the 2026–27 dates had not been announced as of 12 Nov 2026.
Nabegataki Falls 鍋ヶ滝
A wide curtain waterfall in Oguni (about 10 m high and 20 m across) that you can walk behind; entry must be booked online in advance.
Daikanbo lookout 大観峰
A lookout on the Aso caldera rim with views of the five peaks and the caldera floor.

Rail

  • There is no railway to Kurokawa. The nearest JR stations are Aso (from the Kumamoto side) and Hita (from the Fukuoka side), each about 1 hr by car; from there take a taxi or your ryokan's pick-up.

Bus & ferry

  • Hakata Bus Terminal / Fukuoka Airport → Kurokawa: direct highway bus, about 2 hr 15 min to 3 hr (3 a day, reservation required).
  • Kumamoto Station → Kurokawa: Kyushu Odan bus via Aso, about 3 hr; from Aso Kumamoto Airport about 2 hr (3 a day; book by the day before). Roads towards Kumamoto were affected by the 28 Jul 2026 earthquake, so check before you travel.
  • Yufuin → Kurokawa: Kyushu Odan bus, about 1 hr 35 min (3 a day).

By car

  • From Fukuoka: Kyushu Expressway via Dazaifu IC and Tosu JCT, then the Oita Expressway to Hita IC and Routes 212 and 442; about 2 hr from central Fukuoka (Fukuoka Airport to Minamioguni town about 1 hr 45 min).
  • From Kumamoto Station / Aso Kumamoto Airport: take the Milk Road (Prefectural Route 339); about 2 hr from central Kumamoto (Kumamoto Airport to Minamioguni town about 1 hr). Check road conditions on the Kumamoto side before you go, following the earthquake.
  • From Beppu / Oita: leave the Oita Expressway at Kuju IC and follow the Yamanami Highway to Senomoto, then on to Kurokawa; about 1 hr to 1 hr 10 min from Yufuin.
  • The mountain roads are winding and the lanes in the village are narrow, so drive carefully.
  • There are about 280 public parking spaces, all free and open 24 hours except Lot 4 (first 20 min free, then ¥200 per hour, max ¥1,000 per 24 hr); the largest is Kurokawa Parking on Route 442 (about 150 spaces). Ryokan car parks are mostly for guests only; day bathers may park only at ryokan marked Ⓟ.
  • There is no car rental in Kurokawa; rent beforehand at JR Aso or Hita station, Kumamoto Airport or similar.

Licences, ETC cards and expressway passes: Driving in Japan →

Getting around

  • From the bus stop to the Kaze-no-Ya tourist information centre is about a 10-minute (600 m) walk, uphill towards the centre.
  • Three baths on the tegata pass take about 2–3 hours on foot around the village; a few outlying ryokan are too far to walk to.
  • Most ryokan offer guest pick-up from the bus stop or Kaze-no-Ya; it usually needs booking in advance and times generally can't be changed.
  • Taxis are very few and none cruise the streets; call Tsuno Taxi within the village, or Maruzen or Oguni Taxi for trips beyond it.
  • Bicycles can be rented at Kurogen, the petrol station at the village entrance (closed Sundays, 9:00–17:00, ¥220 per hour).

Winter

  • From December to March snow and ice are frequent: winter tyres or chains are a must, and check the forecast and road cameras before you set off.
  • In winter the toilets at Kurokawa Parking are closed; use those next to Kaze-no-Ya or Lot 2.

Luggage

  • Coin lockers next to Kaze-no-Ya and behind the petrol station take large suitcases (small ¥100, large ¥500, ¥100 coins only); the information centre does not hold luggage.
  • If you move to a different ryokan for your next night, your luggage can be carried there for you (not every ryokan offers this; ask yours).

Map

Loading map… (base map: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)

Transport & itinerary videos

Which trains, which pass, how to plan two days.

Ryokan facilities (in-room bath, private bath, family stays, dinner style) are compiled from the descriptions of stay videos and may be wrong or out of date. Check with the ryokan or the booking site before you book.

Before you bathe, read the basic onsen etiquette; ways to bathe if you have tattoos are on the same page. Onsen etiquette & tattoos →

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