Kurokawa is a spa town with many Roten buro(open-air baths). All ryokans here offered private and public baths. A small, rustic village tucked in the mountains of Kyushu, with no train access, none of those ugly massive concrete hotels found everywhere in Japan, no neon advertisements, no loud colors, no combini and even better, not a single pachinko... Instead, Kurokawa's townscape is predominated by natural warm colors, wooden vintage ryokans with gorgeous outside baths, stone stairs, a river flowing through and guests walking from bath to bath wearing the traditional yukata. Indeed, it is a unique town that stands out from the many in Japan.
Tourist Information Centre. Onsen passes (tegata) and various souvenirs are sold here.
Behind the centre few steps down the stairs is a clean and spacious resthouse for people to take a break. It was very thoughtful of them.
A little hut for the smokers
Around and nearby the information centre. The lanes are lined by ryokan, public bath houses, attractive shops and cafes.
This is starting point of our stroll and sightseeing of the town, with umbrellas in tow. Stone stairways on this slope is on the left of the information centre. You can either turn left or right to start the walk of the town, which covers a very small area anyway.
View of the stone stairways from the bottom. Charming!
More shops ...
It was a downslope all the way.
A small temple/shrine where the tourists hang their wooden onsen pass (tegata) after they expired.
Opposite the temple
Many shops had the icon of Kumamoto - Kumamon.
Shinmeikan Ryokan with a wooden bridge that spans over the river and leads directly to ryokan entrance. Fascinating and impressive.
Further down - more shops
The hot spring stream that runs through Kurokawa town
Below the rest house
One of the expensive ryokans - Enchanting Fujiya Ryokan in the bright colours of autumn
Shops
Side walk
Soon it was time to leave and the driver fetched us to the bus stop on time as per prior arrangement. That marked the end of our stay in Kurokawa. If not for the rainy weather, it would have been more enjoyable. So we may have to come back again one day.
The temperature registered on the thermometer along the road showed 7'C. Wow so cold. As it was raining, the kyusanko highway bus was late by about 10mins and the small little bus stop was soon over crowded with people, all waiting anxiously for the bus in the cold. Finally ,the bus arrived and we got into the bus. The warm temperature in the bus was such a welcome. Soon we were on our way to Yufuin.
Cute little bus stop that has the mark of Kurokawa.
Itinerary :
Day 1 - Overnight Flight to Fukuoka, Kyushu via SQ
Day 2 – Fukuoka福岡Airport to Hakata Station博多駅 via airport shuttle bus/subway - > Deposit luggage at Hotel Active! -> Buy and book JR passes/tickets -> Limited Express Sonic reserved Train ride to Kokura小倉-> Transfer to JR Kaogoshima to Mojiko 門司港 駅 Kitakyushu -> Mojiko Retro Train Shiokaze-go (観光トロッコ列車 「潮風号」) -> Mekari Park via Mekari Spectacular Landscape Busめかり絶景バス-> Meraki second observation deck 和布刈第二展望台-> Kanmon Pedestrian Undersea Tunnel ナナオすくらっぷ 関門トンネル人道 to Honshu Main Island, Shimonoseki下関-> Sanden Bus to Karato Area -> Kanmon Steamboat/Ferry to Mojiko -> Mojiko Retro Town -> Mojiko Retro Observation Room -> Old Customs Building , 旧門司税関 -> Blue Wing Moji Bridge, ブルーウイングもじ -> Baked curry (yakikare 焼きカ) lunch at Ant Bee-> Kitakyushu Commerative Library of internation Friendship, 国際友好記念図書館 -> Mojiko Hotel -> Port House, 港ハウス -> Minato House -> Kaiyo Plaza -> Old OSK Line Building, 旧大阪商船-> Old Mitsui Club , 旧門司三井倶楽部 -> Check in to Hotel Active! Review -> Shinkansen to Kumamoto 熊本Night scene around Kumamoto Station -> Tram ride to Karashimacho Shopping Street 辛島町 Shimotori (下通り) -> Dinner -> Christmas Deco at Hakata
Day 3 - Breakfast -> Shinkansen to Kumamoto -> Around Kumamoto Station -> Train ride to Aso via local train JR Hohi line -> Around Aso station阿蘇駅 -> Bus ride to Aso West station -> Ropeway to Mt Aso阿蘇山/ crater of Mt. Nakadake, Aso -> Bento Lunch -> Bus to Kurokawa 黒川 -> Review of Iyashi no Sato Kiyashikiいやしの里 樹やしき -> Private Roten-buro Outdoor Onsen -> Kaiseki Dinner
Day 4 – Onsen -> Breakfast -> Hut/Teahouse by the river -> Kurokawa town -> Bus Ride to Yufuin 湯布院- > Lunch at Hidamari Shokudo -> Yufin Shopping Street , Yufumi Doori (由布見通り -> B speak Roll -> Yunotsubo Kaidou (湯の坪街道) -> Drop luggage at やわらぎの郷やどや -> Lake Kinrinko金鱗湖-> Kinsho Croquette, (金賞コロッケ)-> Check in to Yawaraginosato Yadoyaやわらぎの郷やどや(Review) -> Yufuin Station -> Lake Kinrinko金鱗湖 at late evening -> Dinner at ぶんご亭 -> Private Indoor & Outdoor Roten-buro Onsen - 露天-やわらぎの湯 -> public onsen
Day 5 - Private Onsen at 中の湯 -> Breakfast -> Yufunin Shopping Street -> Train ride Yufu ゆふ to Beppu別府-> Beppu Station -> En route to Hotel Aileホテルエール-> Deposit luggage -> Takegawa Onsen 竹瓦温泉-> Lunch at Youme shopping centre basement -> Kannawa鉄輪-> Kifunejo Castle 贵船城-> Yukemuri Tenboudai 別府湯けむり展望台-> Check in Hotel Aile ホテルエール(Review) -> Onsen -> Dinner
Day 6 – Sunrise -> Onsen -> Breakfast -> Train ride to Oita大分 on Limited express Sonic -> Around Oita Station大分 -> Train ride on JR Kyudai to Yufuin -> Train ride on Yufu no Mori (ゆふいんの森, The Forest of Yufuin to Hakata -> Check in Hotel Active! -> Train ride to Futsukaichi 二日市-> Walk to Nishitestsu Murasaki Station 紫駅-> Train ride to Nishitestsu Futsukaichi Station 西鉄二日市駅- > Transfer to Dazaifu Station大宰府駅- > Autumn Leaves at Komyozenji Temple at Dazaifu光明禅寺@太宰府 -> Dinner at Ippodu Ramen 一风堂拉面
Day 7 - Breakfast at Hotel Active! -> JR HAKATA CITY Tsubame-No-Mori Hiroba (Roof Garden) -> Gion Area祇園 - > 龙宫寺 Ryuguji Temple -> Shofukuji Temple (聖福寺, Shōfukuj ) -> Kushida Temple櫛田寺院-> Kami Kawabata Shopping Alley香美川端 -> Shintendo 新天町-> Ohori Park 大濠公園, Ōhori-kōen - > Fukuoka Castle Ruins 福岡城, Fukuokajō -> Late Lunch at Yayoiken Gionヤーよい轩-> JR HAKATA CITY Tsubame-No-Mori Hiroba (Roof Garden) -> Tenjin 天神Shopping ->Dinner at Ippodu Ramen Shopping at JR Hakata Station
Day 8 - Breakfast - > Morning flight Home Sweet Home
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