Kurokawa Onsen Gosho Gekkoju — Hotel in Minamioguni

Having stayed at Takefue during our last visit to the area, we decided to try out Gosho Gekkoju this time, with mother-in-law in tow. Neither property is in the center of Kurokawa Onsen town, which is fine by us, since it's a short drive away, and we did not want to compromise on comfort, amenities and space. In fact, Gosho Gekkoju is a mere 4 minute drive away, yet feels like you've entered another world. The property is located on the side of a small hill; after parking our vehicle we were transferred to a golf cart to take us to our room. On the way, there is an impressive traditional gate that opens up - it made us feel as if we were entering a massive samurai residence and sets the mood for the rest of our stay, since everything about the experience made us feel like nobility.||||There are just 8 total rooms scattered throughout the property, and all are villa type arrangements. Of the two rooms that we booked, we chose Tenshin for one of them - it's the closest room to reception, is situated in the lowest part of the hill and has the least amount of steps, which I researched beforehand and was a requirement for our mother who has some mobility challenges. The drawback is that it lacks any views of the valley and mountains, since you need a room further up the hill for a good view and that's what we got with the second room, Kazemachi. All rooms have open-air Onsen (natural hot springs) baths, and even Tenshin was sufficiently spacious, featuring separate bedroom (with real beds) and living room (with a nice sofa and large TV), a smaller Japanese-style Tatami sitting room, as well as a dining area for enjoying the kaiseki meals in one's own room. Both villas had an indoor and open-air outdoor Onsen, but Kazemachi's open-air bath had the view and was a bit larger and more impressive. Same goes for the room itself; it was just a bit more spacious and better laid out. That said, the difference between then was 88 square meters versus 99, so it's not a massive difference in terms of space. I thought that the interior was done in a traditional way, but also had modern/Western touches like the aforementioned Western-style sofa and beds, heated floors and fast WiFi. It was neat seeing the use of traditional Japanese-style exposed wooden beams as well as the Irori hearth in the middle of the dining table, which really added to the old-world Japanese charm of both rooms. Basically, for a property that was newly built in 2017, they did an incredible job in giving out a traditional ryokan vibe.||||The quality of the hot springs water in the Kurokawa Onsen area is legendary, and at Gosho Gekkoju, it's no exception. What's notable about the open-air baths in both rooms was the fact that it was jacuzzi-style - they have a jet system that blows bubbles from below. We're generally not accustomed to seeing such an arrangement, and when we asked a staff member why they do this, the explanation made perfect sense... it's to maintain the temperature balance between the surface and the bottom of the bath. Really smart idea! We didn't have to mix the bath water by ourselves, which was really convenient.||||We also tried out both of the rental baths (which are free to guests on an availability basis) - a "Cave bath" ("Dokutsuburo") and an open-air bath at the top of the hill (called "Tenku.") To be honest, in hindsight we would've been just fine sticking with the baths in our rooms. The Cave bath was man-made, and made to feel like an actual cave, but it was quite gimmicky and not particularly authentic looking. And the open-air bath is completely exposed to the elements, so if you opt to use it, I'd recommend you avoid going during midday (especially on a Sunny day) as you're completely exposed to the elements with no canopy to shield you from the Sun.||||The food was a highlight. It doesn't rank up there with the very best ryokan meals we've ever had, but we thoroughly enjoyed the 2-hour kaiseki experience. Among the highlights was a Grilled White Horsehead fish (Amadai in Japanese) in a Clear soup made from Bonito Flakes & Konbu Seaweed Dashi Broth. Light, subtle flavors but complex and full of umami at the same time. We also enjoyed the "Basashi" (Horsemeat Sashimi), which is a delicacy of Kumamoto Prefecture. An in lieu of the typical plain miso soup that comes at the end of the meal (well, before dessert) along with rice and pickled vegetables was a miso soup with lobster - the lobster itself was nice, but the lobster being part of the soup broth really added a richness to the soup that was a cut above the ones we are typically served. That said, there wasn't a single, "oh my god, this is new and amazing!" type of dish that we'll remember for the rest of our lives, which is okay, since it's not something that occurs to us often.||||Gosho Gekkoju is a relatively new property that successfully manages to exude old world charm (without the associated drawbacks) but with freshness and comfort. The overall property is charming and huge, and the incredible in-room Onsen baths, luxurious rooms, great views (at least from Kazemachi) and the ability to have meals served in your own room are luxury aspects that are super compelling. And, the ryokan is gracefully hosted by wonderful staff members that take great pride in offering a bespoke guest experience.||||Between Takefue and Gosho Gekkoju, it's a tough call. Overall, we felt that Takefue's property grounds were even more atmospheric, mystical and awe-inspiring, its baths (both in-room and rental) were absolutely massive (largest we've ever experienced, actually) and service was the best we've ever experienced. There are extra touches that makes us believe that every little aspect was considered, such as ice cream and drinks scattered throughout the property, Yuzu citrus added to the baths, amazing private dining rooms (in addition to the ability to have meals in your rooms), the option to choose from a multitude of gorgeous Yukata to wear... the list goes on and on. For those reasons, I'd give the nod to Takefue. On the other hand, Goshu Gekkoju does have better views of the (far away) landscape and offers a slightly better dining experience (it's the one aspect of Takefue that isn't in our Top 5 among the ryokans we've stayed at.) It would not at all be a bad Plan B for us if we were to return to Kurokawa Onsen and Takefue was...

Having stayed at Takefue during our last visit to the area, we decided to try out Gosho Gekkoju this time, with mother-in-law in tow. Neither property is in the center of Kurokawa Onsen town, which is fine by us, since it's a short drive away, and we did not want to compromise on comfort, amenities and space. In fact, Gosho Gekkoju is a mere 4 minute drive away, yet feels like you've entered another world. The property is located on the side of a small hill; after parking our vehicle we were transferred to a golf cart to take us to our room. On the way, there is an impressive traditional gate that opens up - it made us feel as if we were entering a massive samurai residence and sets the mood for the rest of our stay, since everything about the experience made us feel like nobility.||||There are just 8 total rooms scattered throughout the property, and all are villa type arrangements. Of the two rooms that we booked, we chose Tenshin for one of them - it's the closest room to reception, is situated in the lowest part of the hill and has the least amount of steps, which I researched beforehand and was a requirement for our mother who has some mobility challenges. The drawback is that it lacks any views of the valley and mountains, since you need a room further up the hill for a good view and that's what we got with the second room, Kazemachi. All rooms have open-air Onsen (natural hot springs) baths, and even Tenshin was sufficiently spacious, featuring separate bedroom (with real beds) and living room (with a nice sofa and large TV), a smaller Japanese-style Tatami sitting room, as well as a dining area for enjoying the kaiseki meals in one's own room. Both villas had an indoor and open-air outdoor Onsen, but Kazemachi's open-air bath had the view and was a bit larger and more impressive. Same goes for the room itself; it was just a bit more spacious and better laid out. That said, the difference between then was 88 square meters versus 99, so it's not a massive difference in terms of space. I thought that the interior was done in a traditional way, but also had modern/Western touches like the aforementioned Western-style sofa and beds, heated floors and fast WiFi. It was neat seeing the use of traditional Japanese-style exposed wooden beams as well as the Irori hearth in the middle of the dining table, which really added to the old-world Japanese charm of both rooms. Basically, for a property that was newly built in 2017, they did an incredible job in giving out a traditional ryokan vibe.||||The quality of the hot springs water in the Kurokawa Onsen area is legendary, and at Gosho Gekkoju, it's no exception. What's notable about the open-air baths in both rooms was the fact that it was jacuzzi-style - they have a jet system that blows bubbles from below. We're generally not accustomed to seeing such an arrangement, and when we asked a staff member why they do this, the explanation made perfect sense... it's to maintain the temperature balance between the surface and the bottom of the bath. Really smart idea! We didn't have to mix the bath water by ourselves, which was really convenient.||||We also tried out both of the rental baths (which are free to guests on an availability basis) - a "Cave bath" ("Dokutsuburo") and an open-air bath at the top of the hill (called "Tenku.") To be honest, in hindsight we would've been just fine sticking with the baths in our rooms. The Cave bath was man-made, and made to feel like an actual cave, but it was quite gimmicky and not particularly authentic looking. And the open-air bath is completely exposed to the elements, so if you opt to use it, I'd recommend you avoid going during midday (especially on a Sunny day) as you're completely exposed to the elements with no canopy to shield you from the Sun.||||The food was a highlight. It doesn't rank up there with the very best ryokan meals we've ever had, but we thoroughly enjoyed the 2-hour kaiseki experience. Among the highlights was a Grilled White Horsehead fish (Amadai in Japanese) in a Clear soup made from Bonito Flakes & Konbu Seaweed Dashi Broth. Light, subtle flavors but complex and full of umami at the same time. We also enjoyed the "Basashi" (Horsemeat Sashimi), which is a delicacy of Kumamoto Prefecture. An in lieu of the typical plain miso soup that comes at the end of the meal (well, before dessert) along with rice and pickled vegetables was a miso soup with lobster - the lobster itself was nice, but the lobster being part of the soup broth really added a richness to the soup that was a cut above the ones we are typically served. That said, there wasn't a single, "oh my god, this is new and amazing!" type of dish that we'll remember for the rest of our lives, which is okay, since it's not something that occurs to us often.||||Gosho Gekkoju is a relatively new property that successfully manages to exude old world charm (without the associated drawbacks) but with freshness and comfort. The overall property is charming and huge, and the incredible in-room Onsen baths, luxurious rooms, great views (at least from Kazemachi) and the ability to have meals served in your own room are luxury aspects that are super compelling. And, the ryokan is gracefully hosted by wonderful staff members that take great pride in offering a bespoke guest experience.||||Between Takefue and Gosho Gekkoju, it's a tough call. Overall, we felt that Takefue's property grounds were even more atmospheric, mystical and awe-inspiring, its baths (both in-room and rental) were absolutely massive (largest we've ever experienced, actually) and service was the best we've ever experienced. There are extra touches that makes us believe that every little aspect was considered, such as ice cream and drinks scattered throughout the property, Yuzu citrus added to the baths, amazing private dining rooms (in addition to the ability to have meals in your rooms), the option to choose from a multitude of gorgeous Yukata to wear... the list goes on and on. For those reasons, I'd give the nod to Takefue. On the other hand, Goshu Gekkoju does have better views of the (far away) landscape and offers a slightly better dining experience (it's the one aspect of Takefue that isn't in our Top 5 among the ryokans we've stayed at.) It would not at all be a bad Plan B for us if we were to return to Kurokawa Onsen and Takefue was...

I didn’t expect that I would enjoy my stay at Gekkouyju that much. ||I stayed in one hotel & 4 onsen ryokans during this trip. Unlike other ryokans, Gekkouyju did not contact me before the stay and was the only one that corresponded in emails without a staff’s name, just undersigned as “Gekkouyju”. It seems to be a lack of warmth and hospitality to me though my pickup & luggage arrangement was scheduled without any problem. ||On the day of my arrival by bus, I was taken aback that no one was there waiting for us at the bus stop. I am fully aware that the drivers of the ryokans will arrive earlier than the bus to wait for their guests. Gekkouyju was not there. I waited until all other passengers of the same bus were picked up. Then I called them for fear that they mixed up the guests’ arrival time. As soon as I hung up, the vehicle arrived with our butler, Mr Kwok, who did apologize for the late pick up. Though the stay had a bad start, everything picked up afterwards. It was thoughtful for Gekkouyju to assign a Chinese butler to us though we didn’t speak Chinese well but could understand it. ||We were swiftly transferred to our room “kazemachi” via a golf cart. The room was literally a large rectangle without any hidden room or path, which I preferred. The sun was about to set right in front of our outdoor bath and the sitting room. Blessed with an amazing view, I was 100% satisfied with this room.||Clean, spacious, well illuminated, sleek decor. I couldn’t find fault with the room’s hardware, though I wish that a dyson Airwrap could be provided, I am used to doing my hair with it at home!!! Heating was hidden and no stand-alone heater is needed. However as the heating was set to be turned off every 8 hours, the room became very chilly when we forgot to switch it on again. That’s the only catch we had found.||Besides yukata & pyjamas, bath robe was also provided, a thoughtful touch. I chose Fugu set for dinner and ordered Kagoshima wagyu at an additional cost via email before my stay. Fugu set, with horse sashimi, not bad, similar to other dining outlets but the wagyu was way more impressive. It was reasonably priced and perfectly cooked. Of course we ended up being very full and couldn’t finish the nabe, zosui & the onigiri prepared after the meal, sigh…||The sky was clear then and I can see the stars when soaking in the onsen. Truly wonderful…also, don’t forget about the Netflix. It’s been a busy night and I wish I had arranged to stay there for 2 nights.||Breakfast, however, was mediocre as compared with the other ryokans I had stayed during this trip. ||As per our butler’s suggestion, we went to “Tenku” the chartered open-air bath in the morning. It was a clear day, the bath under the warm sunlight was truly picturesque and comfortable. Thanks to Mr Kwok for his great suggestion.| |Upon our request, our luggage was sent to Takefue upon our check out and we were then taken to Kurokawa info centre to stroll around the area before checking in Takefue. Needless to say, we were given the “famous” hamburgers and 2 small bottled tea before leaving. The hamburgers tasted better than expected.||My mother left her gloves unknowingly in the room and they drove to Takefue to return them. The gloves were no expensive items and we couldn’t care less if they were lost but Gekkouyju just demonstrated their hi-quality of service by this simple action.||Except for the few hiccups, my experience with Gekkouyju ticks all the boxes. I definitely would like to return in...