Tucked into the forested hills of Kumamoto Prefecture is Kurokawa Onsen, a small hot spring village that feels like it’s been preserved in time.
Compared to more well-known Kyushu onsen towns like Beppu or Yufuin, Kurokawa is quieter, more rustic, and intentionally built around soaking, relaxing, and immersing yourself in nature—not tourist shops or crowds.
One of the most popular things to do here is onsen hopping. Instead of buying separate entry tickets at each bathhouse, you pick up a small wooden pass (called a “nyuto tegata”) that gets you into any three ryokan in town (there are over 25 of them to choose from).
Many of these traditional inns feature the most serene outdoor baths tucked into the forest, with river views, rock-lined pools, and steaming waters surrounded by Japanese maple trees. If this is your first rodeo with Japanese onsen culture, you need to experience at least one of the hot springs in Kurokawa!
This guide will give you a better feel for what Kurokawa Onsen is like, beyond just the baths—covering where to eat, what to do, and why this atmospheric little town consistently ranks as one of Japan’s most charming onsen destinations.
This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!
Table of Contents
What To Do in Kurokawa Onsen (Other Than Onsen-Hopping)
Kurokawa Onsen is the kind of place where you shouldn’t feel the need to do much at all. It’s a town built for slowing down, soaking in hot springs, and leaning into the traditional ryokan lifestyle.
That said, we made the mistake of booking our Kyushu trip a little too late—most of the top ryokan were already full for our dates. So instead, we stayed 30 minutes away in Aso at Kamenoi Hotel Aso, which had its own hot spring baths.
Since we had access to an onsen at our hotel, we decided to skip the public bathhouses and just enjoy the town itself. And honestly? We still had a fantastic time.
Lunch Break: Where to Eat
We started with a seriously delicious lunch at Tsuji no Chaya, a tiny roadside teahouse run by an elderly couple.
We were so glad we found this spot–our entire experience was so memorable! The teahouse was quiet (with just light chatter coming from other Japanese patrons), the food was homey as heck (everything was made by just one man!), and the entire place was packed with the kind of warmth you don’t get at chain restaurants.
If you’re on foot or just want something closer to town, check out Tofu Kissho—our second-choice lunch spot and still a strong contender.
This peaceful restaurant specializes in simple, nourishing tofu dishes made from the source water of the Chikugo River and large-grain soybeans from Kumamoto. Don’t skip the dumplings or their original soy milk ice cream.
Explore The Sweet Shops & Snacks
Kurokawa is also a great place for popping into little sweet shops after you’ve had lunch. We first stumbled upon Roku Patisserie, and it turned out to be a total highlight of our time there.
Built to look like a traditional Japanese house, the shop uses local seasonal ingredients from Kumamoto and Aso. We tried some sort of a strawberry cakey cream puff wrapped in the softest, stretchiest mochi I’ve ever tasted—and I say that as a mochi superfan. It was WAY more amazing than it looked!
Another gem was Shiratamako (Shirotamako Japanese Sweets & Tea Shop), tucked along Kawabata Dori. This shop specializes in handmade rice flour dumplings made with 100% Aso glutinous rice.
Expect soft, slippery rice balls with a chewy texture—and don’t miss their seasonal specials or traditional mochi cakes.
We ordered a matcha set that came with rice balls in three ways: kinako (sweet toasted soybean powder), black sesame, and red bean.
If you couldn’t tell already, we have a problem resisting Japanese sweets whenever we come across them.
Local Crafts & Treats
After loading up on sweets, we started exploring the little village again.
We popped into Igozakatouan Pottery, a boutique that curates pieces from around 70 different pottery studios across Kyushu. If you’re looking to bring something functional home, this is a great spot to pick up something unique and handmade!
If you’ve got a sweet tooth or just want to sample something local, stop by Sugiyohoen, a honey shop backed by over 70 years of beekeeping experience in Kumamoto. They offer everything from honey drinks to royal jelly, all of which you can taste before you buy.
Another cool spot selling cute lifestyle goods and traditional Japanese onsen items was Kurokawado, located by the first overflow parking lot.
Try an onsen egg
Right outside the entrance of one of Kurokawa’s ryokan (I think it was Ikoi Ryokan), we stumbled upon a simple little setup: a steaming bath of hot spring water with eggs bobbing inside, a coin box, and a hand-painted sign.
For just 100 yen, you can drop in a coin, grab some tongs, and fish out your own hot spring–boiled egg.
Don’t expect it to taste wildly different—this is more about the experience than the flavor. That said, the yolk was rich, orange, and creamy, which is something you just don’t get with the pale, sad eggs back in the States.
See Meoto Falls
If you have a car and some time to spare, Meoto Falls makes for a refreshing side trip. It’s not far from town (just a 5-minute drive) and offers a nice nature break–as if the nature you’re getting at Kurokawa wasn’t enough.
Also known as “Husband and Wife Falls,” this twin waterfall can be reached with a short walk along a path that leads you to a scenic viewing deck. You’ll see the two falls side by side—one larger, one smaller—symbolizing a harmonious couple.
Day trip to the Mount Aso area
If you have a rental car and want to pack in more nature, drive about 30 minutes to the Mount Aso area. You’ll find dramatic volcanic craters, sweeping grasslands, and scenic gorges that burst into pink azaleas during spring.
It’s one of Kyushu’s most dynamic landscapes—and an easy half-day trip from Kurokawa.
How The Kurokawa Onsen Hopping Pass Works
The onsen hopping pass allows you to enjoy 3 of your favorite hot springs from among 25 of them in Kurokawa Onsen. One of the three tickets can even be used for eating, drinking, or souvenirs.
Cost for adults: 1500 yen
Cost for children (3 years to elementary school): 700 yen
How to buy the pass: You can get them at Kurokawa Onsen Ryokan Association “Kaze no Ya” (aka the tourist information center) or at any of the ryokan in town.
Expiration: 6 months from purchase date
👉 Pro Tip: Make the tourist information center your first stop as soon as you get into town. There’s so much good info there, such as which ryokan are open for public use and at what times (not all of them are open at the same time).
Ryokan In Kurokawa Onsen (With The Best Outdoor Baths)
At the time of writing, here are all of the ryokan offering their communal hot spring baths as part of the onsen hopping program.
If you’re the researchy type, you can take a look at photos ahead of your trip and decide on your favorite baths! Most of them are outdoors/open-air baths, which is really nice! I’ve also noted which ones are tattoo-friendly and which ones I recommend the most based on how their outdoor baths look!
*** = highly recomend | ** = recommend
- Senomoto Kogen Hotel ***
- Hozantei
- Satonoyu Waraku
- Yamamizuki
- Kiyashiki
- Ryokan Okunoyu
- Yukyonohibiki Yusai
- Yumerindo
- Ryokan Wakaba – tattoo-friendly
- Ikoi Ryokan
- Okyakuya **
- Oyado Noshiyu ***
- Ryokan Ichinoi *** – tattoo-friendly
- Ryokan Misato – tattoo-friendly
- Ryokan Nanjyeon
- Ryokan Yamanoyu – tattoo-friendly
- Shinmeikan
- Fumoto Ryokan – tattoo-friendly
- Ryokan Yumotoso
- Yamabiko Ryokan
- Kurokawaso ***
- Kounoyu
- Ryokan Sanga – tattoo-friendly
- Gekkoujyu Kurokawa
- Oyado Nonohana
Yes, that’s a ton of ryokan to choose from! So, how do you pick which one is best???
You could pick solely based on view, but that’s just one angle. Kurokawa Onsen takes its bathing to the next level — you can also choose based on the water quality. At the information center, you can learn all about which hot spring water is best for your skin.
For those with “strong” skin, you can go for “smoothing” waters. For those with sensitive skin, “cleansing” water may be better for you.
If you want waters that promote good health (waters that supposedly dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow), there are certain onsen better for that. There are pools that are more acidic, more alkaline, sulfur springs, hydrogen carbonate springs, chloride springs, etc., all promoting a different aspect of health.
They’ve got it all down to a science.
Like I said, your first stop should be the tourist information center to learn about all of this and then some!
Kurokawa Onsen: Frequently Asked Questions
Which ryokan at Kurokawa Onsen are tattoo-friendly?
At the time of writing, the following ryokan allow larger tattoos: Ryokan Wakaba, Ryokan Ichinoi, Ryokan Misato, Ryokan Yamanoyu, Fumoto Ryokan, and Ryokan Sanga.
If you’ve got a small tattoo, you can usually stay at most ryokan in town by covering it with a tattoo sticker–they sell them at the tourist information center. But if you have larger tattoos (like half-sleeves or full sleeves), you’ll want to stick to the tattoo-friendly ryokan listed above.
Can you get to Kurokawa Onsen by public transportation?
Yes, it is possible to get to Kurokawa Onsen by bus, but it’ll likely take you 2-3 hours depending on where you’re coming from.
From Fukuoka, expect a one-way highway bus ride to take ~2 hours 45 minutes.
From Kumamoto, you need to go from Kumamoto Station → Aso Station (train or bus) → Kurokawa Onsen (local bus). Duration: ~3 hours total.
From Beppu/Yufuin, it will take you 2-3 hours by bus.
Should you rent a car instead?
To save a whole bunch of time, yes, you should 100% rent a car instead of trying to get here by public transit!
If you’re comfortable driving in Japan, renting a car is the easiest and most flexible way to get to and around Kurokawa. Especially if you plan to explore Mount Aso, waterfalls, or other remote areas nearby.
We rented a car through Toyota Rent-A-Car, but other popular local options include Nippon Rent-A-Car and Nissan Rent-A-Car. You can compare prices between the major brands using Klook’s car rental search.
Is there luggage storage at Kurokawa Onsen?
Yes! Right outside of town is the bus stop and the “Welcome to Kurokawa Onsen” sign. A few steps away from both of these landmarks is a set of lockers. There are two sizes: a small one (~1ft tall) and a large one (~4ft tall). The large one can accommodate check-in sized suitcases.
Even though we didn’t stay the night or hop into any of the town’s public onsen, we still walked away thinking Kurokawa Onsen was a total dream. It’s peaceful, picturesque, and the kind of place that feels like a little pocket of calm carved out just for you.
If your trip to Japan brings you anywhere near the Kumamoto area, a stop at Kurokawa Onsen is 100% worth a half-day or overnight visit for the food, sweets, scenery, and slow-paced charm!
Planning Your Trip To Japan?
Here are a few other useful travel guides to help you plan the perfect trip to Japan.
Kyushu Region
- 10 Reasons Kyushu Is Japan’s Best-Kept Secret: Volcanoes, Onsen, and More!
- Everything We Did On Our Week-Long Kyushu Road Trip
- How To Spend A Perfect Day At Yufuin Onsen, Japan
- 15 Unmissable Things To Do In Beppu For First-Timers
- 7 Best Ryokans In Beppu, Japan (With Private Onsen)
- How We Spent 2 Days Relaxing In The Mount Aso Area
- 3 Days In Fukuoka: Ramen, Flower Gardens, and Seaside Fun!
- 10 Amazing Onsen Towns In Japan To Visit On Your Next Trip
