Kyutei Onsen Inn — Hotel in Minamioguni

Our stay at Kyutei was nothing short of magical. My girlfriend (now fiancé) and I had the honor of staying here on November 7th in the Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath, and it became one of the most unforgettable nights of our lives, much thanks to the incredible kindness and dedication of the entire Kyutei team.

Before our stay, I had reached out to request help with a special surprise proposal. From the very first message, Miyazawa-san went above and beyond, not only helping coordinate the logistics of my plan, but also rallying the entire staff to make sure every detail went perfectly. They even helped distract my girlfriend so I could secretly set up my camera, and the result was an absolutely seamless and heartwarming proposal that we’ll remember forever.

To top it all off, the chefs surprised us with a beautifully presented fruit cake, complete with a chocolate-carved congratulation message on the plate. It was such a thoughtful and touching gesture, which we didn’t expect at all!

The kaiseki dinner was exceptional to say the least. It was one of the best meals we’ve had on this trip to Japan.

Beyond the food, the ryokan itself is stunning too. The private onsen bath uses blended natural stone elements, and you can control exactly how hot or cold you want it to be. Our room was also beautiful. It has a mixture of modern comfort with traditional charm. In the bathroom they provide high quality skincare products (Medicated SEKKISEI) and appliances (ReFa hairdryers) which makes the entire experience feel that much more luxurious. The Yukatas and Pyjamas were incredibly comfortable. I honestly never had such a good sleep on a vacation trip until my stay at Kyutei!

The open-air bath overlooking the quiet surroundings and Japanese maple trees was the perfect place to unwind and take in the atmosphere of Kumamoto’s countryside.

More than anything, what made Kyutei truly special was the warmth and sincerity of the staff. Their hospitality transformed our trip into a lifelong memory.

Thank you so much, Miyazawa-san and everyone at Kyutei, for helping me create such a perfect moment. We are endlessly grateful, and we will cherish this stay forever! We hope to come back again, and we encourage everyone else to visit...

JP: 最近、九邸温泉宿に泊まり、とても素敵な体験をしました！新しいオーナーの改装で、伝統的な温泉宿の雰囲気を残しながら、モダンでおしゃれなデザインになっています。 4泊した「スーペリアルーム」には専用の露天風呂があり、プライバシーがしっかり守られていて、とてもリラックスできました。温泉も気持ちよく、細かいところまで気を使っていて、贅沢な時間を過ごせました。脱衣所にはDysonのドライヤーがあって、とても便利でした。 理は洗練されつつも親しみやすく、熊本の地元の味をたっぷり楽しめました。食事はほとんどプライベートダイニングルームでいただきましたが、最後の夜は他のゲストと一緒にレストランで食べました。 スタッフの方もみんな親切で、帰りには南小国の日本酒をプレゼントしてくれるなど、温かいおもてなしを感じました。ラウンジにはレコードプレイヤー、卓球台、本やマンガなどがあり、コーヒーを飲みながらゆっくり過ごせました。 もし改善できることがあるとしたら、地元のジャージー牛乳を使った牛乳の自動販売機があれば、もっと面白いと思います🐮 伝統とモダンがバランスよく楽しめる九邸温泉宿は、ゆっくりしたい人におすすめです。また必ず行きたいと思います！ EN: I adored our recent stay at Kyutei Onsen Inn, so I have been meaning to write this review for a long time! Recently purchased by new owners and stylishly renovated, Kyutei retains its traditional onsen charm while incorporating modern, stylish touches. The inn maintains its traditional Japanese aesthetics with tatami mats, futons, and sliding shoji doors, blending a classic ryokan atmosphere with contemporary comforts. We stayed for 4 nights in one of the inn's "Premium" rooms, which felt like a private cottage, and featured a beautiful open-air bath. This was perfect for privacy, relaxation, and for guests with tattoos who may face restrictions in public onsen. Not all rooms include private baths, so be sure to choose the right room if this feature is a priority. In addition to private baths, Kyutei offers large public baths for both men and women. These beautifully designed baths provide indoor and outdoor soaking options and were a highlight of my stay. Visiting during the off-season, there were only a few guests staying and not many day visitors, so I often had the public baths entirely to myself, which felt like a luxurious perk (please do not take photos inside an onsen, unless it's completely empty!). I imagine it could get busy in peak tourist seasons, which makes the private bath option even better. Also, a small but nice surprise was that the public bath dressing rooms had really nice Dyson hair dryers available for use! A perk of staying at a ryokan is the kaiseki food options, and Kyutei excels here too. The menu, crafted by two expert chefs—one trained in Japan and the other in France—combines Japanese and Western dishes. They serve breakfast and dinner, and the menu changes every day. The food focuses on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, supporting local farmers and offering guests a taste of Kumamoto’s rich culinary landscape. Our meals were all elevated but still approachable; meals were served in our private dining room for the majority of our stay, except on the final day when we dined in the restaurant alongside two other guests. All of the staff were very kind and accommodating; they also were happy to practice my Japanese skills during our stay; they do have staff that speaks English too so if your Japanese is limited don’t worry. One of the chefs even came out to greet us for meals and the front-desk manager was so kind as to give us some local Minami-oguni sake when we departed. Also worth mentioning is that they offer guests a lounge area, which has a record player for vinyl enthusiasts, a ping-pong table, and a selection of Japanese books and manga. I enjoyed studying Japanese and drinking coffee in that space so much! My only suggestion to improve their onsen experience would be to add a milk vending machine, as the area is known for its Jersey cows! This would be a charming nod to the local dairy 🐮 This ryokan might not be as famous as some others in the area, but its charm and the warmth of the hospitality make it a hidden gem worth visiting; I will definitely visit there...

We had the most magical and memorable hotel experience of our life at Kyutei. We originally booked this ryokan because it looked much nicer than the average one in Kurokawa Onsen town but not at an outrageously high price. The room itself especially the open air private onsen was amazing. The non private men/women open air onsen was hands down the best I’ve been to, and I’ve been to quite a few. Very quiet, uses the space and lighting beautifully, not a single bug or spiderweb to be seen which is rare in Kurokawa, and you are absolutely spoiled by the amenities… Refa, Dyson, and Kosé Sekkisei products??!! My skin and hair were so soft and smooth after.

My partner and I went for a special occasion which we let them know ahead of time, and to my surprise they had prepared room decorations, champagne, and even had a surprise cake at the end of our meal (not just a slice, literally baked a whole tiered muscat sponge cake with fresh cream). The amount of work that went into this was definitely much more than the ¥5000 yen fee. Of course the rest of the meal was also unforgettable. Dinner was both Japanese and Western cuisine, and everything was prepared so thoughtfully.

As this is a relatively new hotel, I truly hope more people, both Japanese and foreign tourists, stay at this amazing ryokan hotel. It truly deserves to be recognized as one of the absolute best in the Kurokawa area. Thank you to Tomomi-san and the rest of the staff for going above and beyond to accommodate us and make our stay truly special. ☺️💐

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九亭さんで人生で一番と言ってもいいほど、魔法のようで忘れられない宿泊体験をさせていただきました✨ 最初は、黒川温泉の中でも少し新しくて綺麗そう、でも価格が高すぎないという理由で予約したのですが…結果は大正解でした！！

お部屋もとっても素敵で、特に露天風呂付きのお部屋は最高でした♨️ 大浴場（男女別の露天風呂）も今まで行った中で一番良かったです。本当に静かで、空間の使い方や照明も美しく、虫やクモの巣も全くなくて感動しました！（黒川ではけっこう珍しいです笑） そしてアメニティがすごい！ReFaやDyson、コーセー雪肌精まで揃っていてびっくりしました。お風呂上がりはお肌も髪もつるつるすべすべになって感動しました〜...