Yulax — Attraction in Kumamoto

It’s altogether slightly complicated, so I’ll set out the options as I have gleaned them from three visits.

This onsen has two ticketing options: which they refer to as Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 is for an onsen visit only and Tier 2 is for the onsen and access to the second floor which has a restaurant, workstations, library, rest area and sleeping pods. There are also yoga and massage rooms, both of which cost extra. Massages appear more expensive than at other onsen I have visited on Kyushu.

Even though you - obviously - have to pay for whatever you eat and drink in the restaurant, you cannot access it without a Tier 2 ticket.

Tier 1 Place your shoes in the rack you come to when you first enter the foyer. Then go to the ticket machine and purchase a ticket (¥900 adult weekdays. It costs ¥1,000 adult on weekends, but you have to get the ticket at the counter rather than the machine as it hasn’t been set up for the weekend price). Give the ticket to the attendant at the front desk, and proceed around the back of the front desk into the onsen.

Tier 2 Instead of placing your shoes on the first rack you come to, remove them and then walk around behind the shoe rack where you will find shoe lockers. Place your shoes in a locker and then take the key to the front desk. Handover the key and ¥1,650 (¥2,000 weekends), and inform the attendant what size (S, M, L, XL) clothes you take. They will then hand you a bag with the onsen pyjamas in. Then go past the front desk and instead of going to directly to the onsen, go up the stairs to the second floor. If you are unsure where the change rooms are the attendant at the front desk has a printed floor layout of the second floor and can point it out to you. Place your goods in the locker and get changed into the onsen pyjamas. To get to the onsen go halfway back down the stairs and there are onsen entrances specifically for Tier 2 customers. At that entrance you will find lockers in which to store your onsen pyjamas.

There is an additional charge for staying overnight (same cost as entry). Overnight means staying past 1am. You can choose to stay on sleeping mats, or have your own capsule-like space for a further additional fee.

I ate in the restaurant several times. Staff are wonderful. Food was a mix of good and great, but in some instances the portion was small (I’m looking at you pork with black beans and capsicum!). The nachos were plated horribly, but turned out to have the perfect proportion of ingredients and were awesome, taste-wise. And the Kumamoto Ramen was outstanding.

The onsen facilities are great, but it appears that everyone comes for the hourly Aufguss experience. Every time it was on 90% of bathers would pile into the sauna for it. And then come out and collapse on the chairs. Later at night, the performances became very boisterous and extended out into the onsen proper where the aufguss practitioner would come and pour water on the people who had participated, or fan them to cool them down, with much applause at the end. It was all jolly jolly!

I have visited many great onsen in Japan. Yulax is up there with the...

For over a year now I’ve been onsening almost weekly sometimes visiting two different onsens in the same day. From hotel spas to private baths to super duper sentos, I’ve enjoyed all levels of onsens. But this past week, I was at a loss for words with what i experienced at Yulax. With two decks of options, the first being the bathing area and the second level housing the restaurant, resting area, reading area and here’s where it blew my mind…it had TWO yoga rooms and capsule hotel like dormitories! Had I known how to read in Japanese I would’ve booked a full stay here, this place is open 24 hours a day! We spent 4 hours here and I could easily stay here for a week!

But my favorite experience was the ryoryu, we came on Christmas Eve and they blasted holiday songs as we were being scorched with the heated steam! It was a damn party in there! Such a fun and relaxing time, I’m about to...

Well this YuRelax onsen was the best out of a few I reviewed in Kumamoto, and wow!!! No wonder Rakuten Travel ranked it #1 status. Huge main pool (circular) with fountain in the middle (of the womens of course), 3 other pools, inc. Outdoor air and sky view, linear spa jet pool and rectangular cold plunge pool too, huge womens change room with lots of lockers and hair dryers for each lady with seats and mirrors to match! As long as you manage to be lucky and go at a non peak time like 3pm on a Thursday, you will absolutely love it.. Sure it doesn’t have the 1000 years of history like Dogo Onsen, but if you really want a great natural spring water onsen, this has to be it!! And its accessible via a short JR train ride or Taxi depending on where u r...