Kurokawa Onsen town is one of Japan's most attractive hot spring towns, located in the middle of Kyushu about 20 kilometers north of Mount Aso. Well coordinated efforts by the town to maintain a pleasant, traditional atmosphere have kept Kurokawa free of the massive concrete hotels, neon advertisements and loud colors that are encountered in many of Japan's other resort towns. For this purpose, a wooden pass (tegata) is sold for 1300 yen, providing admission to the baths of three different ryokan of one's choice (valid for up to six months). It is available at the information center and the over twenty participating ryokan.🎌🎌👍🏻👍🏻

Had a walk around Kurokawa Tourist Information Centre. It’s a picturesque and relaxing walk but were forced to cut short due to incessant rain.

We stayed just outside the town in a hotel, not a ryokan, as the best options sell out quickly during holidays. I only visited two onsen here, but both did not offer traditional shower set-ups. It seems that is common in Kurokawa onsen, so if you stay in a ryokan, I recommend washing off there first. Overall, the town was very cute and small enough to easily walk around. The bamboo lanterns at night were so beautiful and I'm happy we could see them. We visited during late March, and I believe it's supposed to be a winter decoration, but this year it was extended until early April. If you are interested, make sure to do your research beforehand. One thing I will say is the onsen pass, which allows you to enter three onsen or two onsen and receive one item from a local business, lacked current information. It was great price wise, and totally fine if you only use it for onsen. However, we ran into issues trying to redeem the souvenir/food ticket. At least three stores were closed when the pamphlets said they’d be open, and one or two looked permanently closed. I would recommend doing three onsen, or calling in advance to see if businesses are open instead walking all over the place and getting frustrated.

This onsen town is an absolute gem! No ugly concrete buildings or flashy neon signs here – everything is preserved and rich in tradition. It’s far from the typical mass tourism spots you find elsewhere. Accommodations are limited, and yes, they can be quite pricey, but the service and omotenashi you receive are absolutely remarkable. It’s an experience like no other! During our visit, we stayed at Okyakuya, and it was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it. Also, don’t forget to bring enough cash with you, as there are no ATMs in town.

An tiny onsen town with laidback atmosphere. Love the scenery here. Pricey ryokan and shop closes early. Make sure to reserve early.

Quiet town, however shops close super early. Make reservation or else you'll be hungry

A lovely place with ryokan & nothing else but onsen. There is onsen as cheap as ¥200 or you can opt for luxurious ryokan as pricey as ¥15000. It's totally up to you but this place definitely worth a visit and try the onsen tamago while you are here! Would visit again! ❤️

Natural hot springs town and enjoyed 5 different onsen by the pass