Kurokawaso — Hotel in Minamioguni

Beautiful resort with spacious tatami room. The premise is immaculately clean and the courteous staff with excellent service level from shuttle pick-up, through meal serving shows how much the Kurokawa So team take pride in their hospitality. I love the large outdoor onsen that is set amidst the boulders, facing a vertical cliff, relaxing in nature is truly an excellent experience for the body and the soul! They switch the male and the female onsen everyday so we got to experience the difference. We stayed 2 nights with breakfast and dinner. Dinner was an elaborate, 2-hour course. The food was beautifully decorated with great attention to details. Chef Akira must be so proud of his creation in the kitchen. Every dish was so oishi that our stomach was filled to the brim. The lady that served our meals spoke English so the explanation on how and when to eat what really added to the entire experience of this onsen stay. ||This resort is set away from the rest at the main street so it has privacy and it is near enough by foot for day-time excursion. Getting there is easy by highway bus from Kumamoto. There is bus from Fukuoka Airport too. Free shuttle pick up from the bus stop was very helpful. ||Our experience did not just end at checkout. We left our camera backpack in the shuttle van that dropped us at the bus stop and when we realized it, our bus had left for 10mins. I called the resort and despite the language barrier, the reception grasped what i was trying to tell. They immediately decided to drive after the bus and they did for 1 hour+ to a major stop and handed me my bag. If there is an award for service excellence, i will vote for Kurokawa-So. It was well worth the price. Arigatogozaimasu to Team...

Beautiful resort with spacious tatami room. The premise is immaculately clean and the courteous staff with excellent service level from shuttle pick-up, through meal serving shows how much the Kurokawa So team take pride in their hospitality. I love the large outdoor onsen that is set amidst the boulders, facing a vertical cliff, relaxing in nature is truly an excellent experience for the body and the soul! They switch the male and the female onsen everyday so we got to experience the difference. We stayed 2 nights with breakfast and dinner. Dinner was an elaborate, 2-hour course. The food was beautifully decorated with great attention to details. Chef Akira must be so proud of his creation in the kitchen. Every dish was so oishi that our stomach was filled to the brim. The lady that served our meals spoke English so the explanation on how and when to eat what really added to the entire experience of this onsen stay. ||This resort is set away from the rest at the main street so it has privacy and it is near enough by foot for day-time excursion. Getting there is easy by highway bus from Kumamoto. There is bus from Fukuoka Airport too. Free shuttle pick up from the bus stop was very helpful. ||Our experience did not just end at checkout. We left our camera backpack in the shuttle van that dropped us at the bus stop and when we realized it, our bus had left for 10mins. I called the resort and despite the language barrier, the reception grasped what i was trying to tell. They immediately decided to drive after the bus and they did for 1 hour+ to a major stop and handed me my bag. If there is an award for service excellence, i will vote for Kurokawa-So. It was well worth the price. Arigatogozaimasu to Team...

An absolutely wonderful experience.
The staff at the ryokan were incredibly polite and always ready to help with anything we needed. Upon check-in, we were provided with traditional attire, pajamas, tabi slippers, bath amenities, and a small welcome treat with matcha and coffee. We also asked at the front desk if they could give us a ride to the bus stop after check-out, and they kindly said yes, of course.
Our room was spacious, clean, and beautifully decorated. At first, we were planning to explore several other local onsens, but after experiencing the ones at the ryokan, we felt completely satisfied. There are separate baths for hotel guests (men’s and women’s), baths open to both guests and visitors (also divided by gender), as well as a private onsen. One of the onsens also has a sauna.
The traditional dinner and breakfast were both impressive—delicious and very generous in portion.
The surrounding grounds are stunning, perfect for peaceful walks. This ryokan is a bit further from the main cluster of inns, but that was exactly what we wanted—to enjoy quiet walking.
At night, our futons were laid out for us, adding to the authentic experience.The only reason I deducted one star is the very bright green light on the ceiling that stays on all night and can’t be turned off or covered. I didn’t have a sleep mask with me, and the ryokan didn’t provide one, so I had a sleepless night. It was quite unpleasant.
That said, I still highly recommend this ryokan—it’s an unforgettable...