Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Day 3 - Review of Iyashi no Sato Kiyashikiいやしの里 樹やしき->

We reached Kurokawa bus stop at 1531hrs after about an hour bus ride from Aso West Station or Ropeway station. Many drivers, including ours from various ryokans were already there to pick up their hotel guests. Our driver from Iyashi no Sato Kiyashikiいやしの里 樹やしき soon spotted us and whisked us to the rokyan.


Upon arrival, we changed into in-house slippers and were served tea while registration was being done. After registration, they provided us a hotel map, indicating the locations of our rooms, dining room and the public onsens and requested us to select the designs of our yukatas. We were also requested to select the private onsen and dinner time. Once all these were done, the staff led and brought us to our rooms via a covered hallway or walkway leading to a zen garden before arriving at the main building where our room was. I can understand why the staff needed to show the way since the place was pretty vast. Also in between the indoor and outdoor areas, we have to change slippers. Once in the room, the staff wasted no time to explain and brief us on the room.

We originally booked Ryokan Sanga but when our reservation dates were changed to match Aso Boy's train schedule which was only available on weekends in November, no room was available. We then booked Iyashi no Sato Kiyashikiいやしの里 樹やしき through the ryokan's website. Fortunately, rooms were still available. The rate was 27600yen (13800yen/person) including breakfast and dinner. This hotel has no internet or WIFI.

This is a very traditional, affordable and charming Japanese ryokan with its own unique style and character and gives us the true experience of a Japanese Ryokan. Compared to ryokans in Hakone, it is more secluded, quiet and private and not overcrowded with many tourists or guests. It sits on a big and spacious area and has many hot springs , both private and public. I choose this ryokan specially because of the good reviews of the private onsen by the river, though a fee of 1000yen is required. However, I was very disappointed that this onsen was not opened for use during our stay there. The staff could not explain the reason in English. Besides, they only allowed us to use one private onsen during our entire stay - another disappointment. We were not allowed to use another private hot spring the next day though there were plenty. However, I did try their public hot spring and had a peep at the mixed gender onsen which was beautifully done up. Very few guests stayed in this hotel during our stay so I was the only one using the public onsen. The rooms and common areas are clean and well maintained.

We chose to stay in a traditional Japanese styled room 203. The name was star

Wooden Room key whihc resembles the branch of a tree, after all, the ryokan's name has the word, tree.

The size of the room is ok but the toilet and the basin were far from each other.... the little basin beside the toilet bowl was a little too small. A little troublesome and inconvenient and we were not used to it but this layout is typical of all ryokans. No bathroom in the room too. You need to shower in the onsen.

The traditional Japanese room with low table on tatami. Basin behind the partition.


Japanese sweets
Small TV


Balcony area. It was raining so we could not take a picture of the scenery outside. Basin behind the sofa and the space to the basin is very narrow and restricted.

Fridge/Kettle

After dinner, the futons on tatami were prepared and the table was moved to one side.


Now, a review of the ryokan's facilities and surrounding area. Ryokan's main entrance. It has the streak of a Japanese inn. The lobby is on the second floor.


Hotel Map

Front Desk

Lobby or waiting area


Bar lounge

View of the colourful mountains through the window of the bar lounge

Covered walkway from Lobby to the zen garden


Stone pathway & a lovely and beautiful zen garden between the lobby and the main building













The warm wooden structured building gives a very homely feeling. Corridor leading to resting area.


Resting area before the corridor to the rooms

Corridor leading to our room


Area below our rooms. Private dining rooms and public onsens are on this floor.

Outside the private dining room

How to use the onsen

Onsens in Rokyan

Private Family Onsen

Private onsen by the river but the ryokan did not allow us to book to use. The manager could not explain the reason. But they allowed us to visit the quaint little hut or tea room along the river the next day.

You have to walk down a slope to reach it.


View of the sream taken from the little cute hut

The running stream or river.



Cosy little hut or tea room. The hotel staff even boiled water for us. You can rest here, take tea here while enjoying the scenery and listen to the soothing sound of the running river. It has a very relaxing and tranquillizing atomsphere.


A little further down the river is the private onsen. It was out of bounds that day - much to our disappointment.

Kiyashikiいやしの里 樹やしき- perched up on the top.

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

2 comments:

  1. your post on Fukuoka is good. May I know whether you do speak Japanese?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your comments. No, I do not speak Japanese. Very very limited.

    ReplyDelete