• Home
  • Contact
Amenohi Travels
  • Destinations
    • Japan
      • Tokyo
      • Yamanashi Prefecture
      • Nagano prefecture
      • Oita prefecture
      • Saga prefecture
    • USA
      • Washington state
    • Vietnam
    • United Kingdom
  • Itineraries
    • Japan 2016
    • Japan 2017
    • Vietnam 2016
    • Shikoku Henro 2018
    • San Juan Islands 2019
    • Olympic loop 2020
  • About
Amenohi Travels
  • Destinations
    • Japan
      • Tokyo
      • Yamanashi Prefecture
      • Nagano prefecture
      • Oita prefecture
      • Saga prefecture
    • USA
      • Washington state
    • Vietnam
    • United Kingdom
  • Itineraries
    • Japan 2016
    • Japan 2017
    • Vietnam 2016
    • Shikoku Henro 2018
    • San Juan Islands 2019
    • Olympic loop 2020
  • About
November 8, 2016April 30, 2018

Kurokawa Onsen

  • Prev
  • Next
This post is part of a series called Japan 2016
Show More Posts
  • Tokyo 2016
  • 3 days in Nikko
  • Tamozawa Imperial Villa
  • Arima Onsen
  • Kokura 2016
  • Usa Jingu
  • Kunisaki in 2 days
  • Kitsuki
  • Yufuin
  • Saga: balloons that did not fly
  • Karatsu Kunchi 2016
  • Karatsu castle
  • Saga: balloons that did fly
  • Arita
  • 2 days in Aso
  • Kokuzo shrine
  • Shimomiya
  • Hotel Greenpia Minamiaso
  • Shirakawa Suigen
  • Amano Iwato Shrine
  • Takachiho
  • Road trip along Yamanami Highway
  • Kurokawa Onsen
  • Kyoto 2016
  • Akechidaira Ropeway

My second visit to the charming Kurokawa onsen happened rather spontaneously: I was planning to spend some more time enjoying Kuju and Aso scenery on my last day on Kyushu, but the weather deteriorated, and a hot spring bath is one of those places where it doesn’t really matter if it rains or shines. I remembered how good it was in Kurokawa when I went there 10 years earlier and decided to go again. It’s half an hour drive from Kuju.

Kurokawa onsen is often called one of the best hot spring towns in Japan; I would say that it’s absolutely the best – and I’ve been to many hot spring towns in most prefectures, so I have a good perspective. The reason why I feel this way about Kurokawa is because not only does it have great quality of water and outstanding outdoor baths, it’s also visually appealing. Nowhere else in Japan have I seen such level of synchronicity in how separate ryokan buildings look: they all have the same sandy brown traditional appearance, which gives the whole place uniformity and style. It’s a really small village, basically just one main street, but still, I see some considerable effort being made here. Unusual and admirable.

And then, of course, there are the baths. My favorite baths are at Yamamizuki, a ryokan located on the outskirts, 2 km away from the main street (it’s either a short drive or a 30 minutes walk). Their rotenburo in near a river with a small waterfall, you soak and have this waterfall right in front of your eyes. Another bath is in a wooden building with big windows opening into a forest; if you visit in November the fall colors there will be beautiful. I want to stay overnight there sometime.

On my way to Kurokawa I stopped at Oguniryo Shrine and Nabegataki Falls, a beautiful waterfall with a cave behind it where you can see the water falling from the other side. Alas, no good photos. Camera died on me a few days before – I only had a cell phone.

Kurokawa Onsen, the center of the village
Ryokans are lined up along both sides of this river
There’s a few cafes and souvenir shops
Bridges hang over the river, often connecting two parts of the same ryokan
And all the buildings are uniform in appearance – a very rare sight in Japan
It’s quiet and almost empty on a weekday; more people come on weekends, of course
Somewhere along the street
The shrine that I stopped at on my way to Kurokawa
Nabegataki Falls

This concludes my 2016 trip around Kyushu. I arrived to Kokura by shinkansen, then went to Usa on express train, rented a car for 2 days and made a half-circle around Kunisaki peninsula. I then stayed for one night in Beppu, visiting Kitsuki on a day trip, and stayed overnight in Yufuin. From there I fast tracked to the opposite side of the island, to Saga city in Saga prefecture, saw hot air balloons and visited Karatsu (and saw Karatsu Kunchi festival) on two day trips. I also briefly stopped at the porcelain makers’ village of Arita before heading to Kumamoto, where I rented a car again for a total of 5 days and spent them exploring Aso, Takachiho and Kuju. From Kurokawa onsen I went back to Kumamoto, returned my car, and took the shinkansen to Osaka.

Posted in Japan
Tagged kyushu, onsen
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Plus
  • Pinterest

Post navigation

   Road trip along Yamanami Highway
Kyoto 2016   

You may also like

Higashi Honganji

Continue Reading

Kofu castle

Continue Reading

Tags

architecture buddhism history kyushu museum nature nikko onsen pacific northwest sakura shinto temple tokyo washington state

4 Continents Explored
30 Countries Visited
250 000 KM Traveled
15 000 Photos Taken

amenohitravels

Suzdal Kremlin moat (Suzdal, Russia) #suzdal #suz Suzdal Kremlin moat (Suzdal, Russia)

#suzdal #suzdalrussia #russiagoldenring #goldenringofrussia #суздаль #золотоекольцороссии #your_worldcaptures #travelrussia #visitrussia
Day 2 of Iceland Ring Road trip. I spent the day Day 2 of Iceland Ring Road trip.

I spent the day zigzagging around southwestern Iceland, visiting locations from Dorothy Dunnett’s “House of Niccolo” series. It so happens that each one of them has a church, so it turned out to be a church day, which was perfectly fine by me – Icelandic churches have tons of charm. Today was also my first introduction to turf houses – they are super cute, looking forward to seeing more of them up north.

Where I’ve been today:

Skalholt – one big historic church and a little one inside a turf house.

Stori-nupur – nice little church nestled under a picturesque cliffside.

Skard – charming tiny church in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful Hekla views. Yummy mushrooms growing at the cemetery :) 

Keldur – long dirt road (grrrr), amazing location and turf houses. The church was, unfortunately, under renovation.

Hlidarendi – for some it’s an important Saga place, for me it’s a Dunnett place :) Beautiful church in a beautiful location.

#icelandringroad 
#iceland 
#icelandchurch 
#icelandturfhouse 
#turfhouse 
#travelnomad 
#nomadictravel 
#icelandroadtrip 
#amazingiceland 
#icelandtravel 
#discovericeland
Khan Shatyr, a huge tent in Nur-Sultan. #astana #a Khan Shatyr, a huge tent in Nur-Sultan.
#astana #astana_city #khanshatyr #kazakhstan #modernarchitecture #normanfoster #nursultan
Cherry blossoms at Ryozenji, temple number 1 of Sh Cherry blossoms at Ryozenji, temple number 1 of Shikoku pilgrimage 

#shikoku #japan 
#ryozenji #shikokuhenro #shikokupilgrimage  #tokushimaprefecture #sakura #cherryblossom #tokushima #tokushimagram #四国遍路 #おへんろ #徳島
Goritsky monastery of Dormition in Pereslavl-Zales Goritsky monastery of Dormition in Pereslavl-Zalessky, Russia

#pereslavlzalessky #goritskymonastery #goldenringrussia #russia #orthodoxmonastery #russianchurch #russianarchitecture #your_worldcaptures #переславльзалесский #золотоекольцороссии #ロシア
Plum tree blossoming in Humble Administrator's Gar Plum tree blossoming in Humble Administrator's Garden - Suzhou, China
#suzhou #humbleadministratorsgarden #china #chinesegarden #苏州 #chinatravel
Nobunaga Matsuri, Gifu 2015
信長祭り(岐阜市)

#festival #kimono #japan #traditionaljapan #japanculture #gifu #gifuprefecture #japanesefestival #your_worldcaptures #discoverjapan #loves_nippon #japantravel #信長祭り #岐阜市
Peterhof Palace, barocco interiors. #stpetersburg Peterhof Palace, barocco interiors.

#stpetersburgrussia #stpetersburg #russia #russianarchitecture #russiatravel #peterhof #peterhofpalace #russianpalace #barocco #travelrussia #петергоф #петродворец #питер
Cute little deer in Ocean Shores, WA #oceanshores Cute little deer in Ocean Shores, WA

#oceanshores #washingtonstate #blacktaildeer #deer #wildlife #wildlifephotography #pacificnorthwest #pnwlife #discoverwashington #wildlifeencounters #olympicpeninsula
Sunset at Key West, Florida. #floridakeys #florid Sunset at Key West, Florida.

#floridakeys #floridakeyslife #keywest  #keywestflorida #sunset #seasunset #keywestsunset #visitflorida #tropicalsunset #your_worldcaptures
Canyon overlook at Zion National Park - Utah, USA Canyon overlook at Zion National Park - Utah, USA
#zionnationalpark #utah
Small town of Cuernavaca, about 1.5 hr drive from Small town of Cuernavaca, about 1.5 hr drive from Mexico City, has this very nice historical center with cathedrals and gardens.

#cuernavaca #discovermexico #cuernavacacentro #mexicotravel #mexicoarchitecture #mexicanarchitecture #colonialarchitecture
Cute little ferry going to @chaletdesiles.paris Cute little ferry going to @chaletdesiles.paris 

#lechaletdesiles #boisdeboulogne #paris #loveparis #autumninparis #lovefrance #solotraveler #discoverparis
Master of the Nets Garden, Suzhou #suzhou #china Master of the Nets Garden, Suzhou

#suzhou #china #suzhouchina #masterofthenetsgarden #网师园 #chinesegarden #suzhougarden #discoverchina #travelchina #chinatravel
New York Grand Central #newyork #newyorkcity #gra New York Grand Central

#newyork #newyorkcity #grandcentralterminal #grandcentralstation #newyorklife #discovernewyork #americanarchitecture
Kochi Castle #kochi #castle #shikoku #japanfocus Kochi Castle

#kochi #castle #shikoku #japanfocus #kochicastle #japan #japanesecastle #高知城 #japantravel #your_worldcaptures
Lap An lagoon in Vietnam #blueocean #vietnam #viet Lap An lagoon in Vietnam
#blueocean #vietnam #vietnamtravel #tropicalparadise
Enjoying Dynjandi waterfall. One of the highlights Enjoying Dynjandi waterfall. One of the highlights of my day.

#dynjandi 
#dynjandiwaterfall 
#dynjandifoss 
#westfjords 
#amazingiceland 
#girlslovetravel 
#femalesolotraveler 
#travelnomad 
#solotravel 
#globetrotter 
#discovericeland 
#remoteplaces 
#icelandwaterfall 
#traveliceland
#solotravelingisfun
Day 7 of my Iceland Ring Road trip was mostly spen Day 7 of my Iceland Ring Road trip was mostly spent driving through the eastern part of the country, but it was a very scenic drive. I actually enjoyed driving in the fjords, where the road contours the landmass, so you have to constantly go in and out. My favorite part of this was turning the corner on the outer side and seeing the new beautiful fjord open up before me. Very exciting every time. And there's a mountain there that from one side looks like a perfect pyramid. Like it's man-made, fascinating. Not from every angle of course :)

But all this zigzagging makes for a very long journey. Just driving (without stops) was 3 hours today, with stops it was 6. I’m spending the night at the beautiful Seyðisfjörður. The road leading to it is even more beautiful – why they didn’t think of making even one pullout along the way is beyond me. So, unfortunately, no photos from that road.

Tomorrow I’m headed towards Mývatn, and it will be a long day.

#femalesolotraveler
#travelnomad
#amazingiceland 
#eastfjords 
#iceland
#discovericeland 
#travelette 
#solotraveler 
#solotravel 
#icelandringroad 
#icelandroadtrip
Scared the shit out of me the first time it did it Scared the shit out of me the first time it did it :)

Not Old Faithful, of course, but still nice 🙂

#icelandtravel #icelandringroad #icelandgoldencircle #ringroadiceland #goldencircleiceland #strokkur #strokkurgeyser #geysiriceland #nomadictravel #travelnomad
Have you ever cried from beauty? Not because you’re sad or hurt, not because of a story or a song, but because you suddenly saw something so beautiful that your heart just can’t process it any other way? I’ve cried from beauty twice in my life, the first time when I first saw the Grand Canyon. The second time today, on the mountain ridge above Dynjandi waterfall, overlooking the fjord. No words or photos can describe this feeling, it stays with you for life. One of those things that makes life worth living.

Dynjandi waterfall itself is amazing, probably will be my top 2, if not top 1 in Iceland. It’s actually about 10 falls in one, it will show you many different faces the further up you go – and you have to go up, although the trail is steep and wet, you'll be rewarded in the end. But it wasn’t the best thing that happened today. I actually wouldn’t have found that spot on the ridge above if not for a sudden onslaught of topographical cretinism – totally excusable in this case, because the topography of Westfjords is crazy (besides, this was the first time in Iceland I had no signal in my phone). Anyways, I actually went in the right direction, but then started doubting myself and turned back, and on the way back just randomly pulled out and decided to stroll around with my camera, taking advantage of perfect weather. I walked up to the rim, and this huge vista opened up, with the fjord stretching below and that same river that forms Dynjandi cascading through moss covered fields, forming another waterfall, invisible all but from one particular spot, right where I was standing. As I said, makes life worth living. Swipe till the end to see the video.

After that was a long, tiresome 30-something mile drive on a dirt road with potholes through the crazy topography of Westfjords. Next time I come to Iceland, I’ll be renting a tank.

#westfjords
#dynjandifoss
#travelnomad
#nomadictravel
#girlslovetravel
#solotraveler
#solotravel
#femalesolotraveler
#globetrotter
#solotravelingisfun
#travelette
#ladieswhotravel
#travelwoman
#mytraveldiary
#amazingiceland 
#icelandwaterfall 
#traveliceland 
#icelandfjords 
#icelandroadtrip
Driving on Utah state route 128 near Castle Valley Driving on Utah state route 128 near Castle Valley
ユタ州のドライブ
#utah #utahroadtrip #americanroadtrip #castlevalley #roadtrip #utahredrocks #discoverutah #utahtravels #beautifulutah #your_worldcaptures
Puffins are cute 🥰 #puffin #puffins #iceland Puffins are cute 🥰

#puffin 
#puffins
#iceland 
#westmanislands 
#heimaey
Horsetail Falls in Columbia River Gorge, Oregon st Horsetail Falls in Columbia River Gorge, Oregon state 
#columbiarivergorge #oregon #horsetailfalls #waterfall #pacificnorthwest #explorepnw #pnwlife #pnwonderland #oregonlife #your_worldcaptures
Windy morning on Miami Beach #miamibeach #florida Windy morning on Miami Beach

#miamibeach #florida #miami #floridalife #floridalifestyle #beach #discoverflorida #instatravel #your_worldcaptures #beachvacation
Ono waterfall, Kiso valley, Japan
小野の滝 (長野県), 木曽八景の一つ

#kisoji #kisovalley #naganoprefecture  #ononotaki #japanfocus #japantravel #小野の滝 #木曽路 #木曽八景 #waterfall #nagano #japan #япония #loves_nippon #ilovejapan #discoverjapan #waterfallphotography
Day 4 of my Iceland Ring Road trip was a rainy day Day 4 of my Iceland Ring Road trip was a rainy day. Very, very rainy day. When they say, don’t come to Iceland without proper raingear – believe it. Even if it’s not raining, you’ll get drenched at larger waterfalls in seconds if you’re not covered from head to toe. Today my raingear proved its worth, especially the pair of rainpants that I last wore 10 years ago and almost passed down to someone who needs them more. Thank goodness I put them in my bag last minute.

I didn’t have to cover a lot of ground today (another lucky thing), so I spent all of my time in Skogar that apart from one very famous waterfall has another waterfall and a very nice local museum.

I actually liked the less famous waterfall (Kvernufoss) more. It’s smaller, but has more character to it. Skogafoss is cool but very… straightforward :)

And this night I’m staying in Vik. Have you seen TV show “Katla”? Yes, there :) Upon my arrival it wasn’t covered in volcanic ash, but was covered in fog, so I still don’t know what it normally looks like. Hopefully tomorrow :)

#iceland
#icelandroadtrip
#skogar 
#icelandringroad 
#skogarmuseum 
#travelnomad 
#amazingiceland 
#nomadictravel 
#roadtrip 
#kvernufoss 
#skogafoss 
#icelandwaterfall
#icelandtravel 
#discovericeland 
#southiceland
Sakura Festival on Meguro River - Tokyo 2018 #sak Sakura Festival on Meguro River - Tokyo 2018

#sakura #sakuramatsuri #megurogawa #tokyo #japan #japaneselantern #paperlantern #lantern #loves_nippon #japantravel #japanfocus #discoverjapan #目黒川 #your_worldcaptures
Mt. Aso, Nakadake crater (after 2016 Kumamoto eart Mt. Aso, Nakadake crater (after 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes)
阿蘇山中岳(2016年11月)
#aso #kumamoto #volcano #asosan #japan #nature #阿蘇山 #熊本県 #your_worldcaptures #japantravel #mountaso #japanfocus
Beautiful theater in Mexico City. The folk dance p Beautiful theater in Mexico City. The folk dance performance was amazing too.

#theater #palaciodebellasartes #cdmx #operahouse #discovermexico  #architecture #discovercdmx #theatergoer #lovetheater #iamatraveler #culturaltourism #femalesolotraveler
This was stupendous too 😁 Tidewater glaciers ar This was stupendous too 😁
Tidewater glaciers are amazing. The way they calve, when if you're too far, it takes time for the sound to travel, so you first see it, and only then hear it. Amazing.

#amazingalaska #tidewaterglacier #glacier #arcticphotography #iceberg #discoveralaska #kenaifjords #kenaifjordsnationalpark #northernnature #northernexposure #solotraveler #traveldiaries #your_worldcaptures #sewardalaska
O-henro pilgrim at Zenjibuji, temple number 32 of O-henro pilgrim at Zenjibuji, temple number 32 of Shikoku pilgrimage
四国遍路第32番札所で

#shikokuhenro  #shikokupilgrimage #四国遍路 #shikoku #japan #japantravel #japan_vacations #pilgrimage #四国八十八ヶ所
Day 1 of the Ring Road trip. The weather is harsh Day 1 of the Ring Road trip.

The weather is harsh: can be windy, can be chilly, and it can rain anytime. The landscape is majestic – love those endless green slopes completely devoid of trees. I know this is not how it was supposed to be (deforestation etc.), but I still think it’s beautiful. Reminds me of Hawaii, Lord Howe Island and New Zealand (just a little bit).

What I saw today:

Helgufoss waterfall – skippable.

Thorufoss waterfall – beautiful.

Geysir geothermal area – it’s not Yellowstone, not even Rotorua or Beppu, but trying to catch the geyser on camera was fun (see reel).

Gullfoss waterfall – simply stunning. This was the highlight of my day (see reel).

Secret Lagoon – well… nobody does hot springs better than the Japanese, that’s the fact.

And so far I’m really enjoying Icelandic food. Yes, it’s pricy, but tastes really good. I was expecting something along the lines of British (didn’t have the best food experience in London). Happy to be pleasantly surprised.

#icelandringroad
#iceland
#goldencircleiceland
#ringroadiceland
#nomadictravel
#travelnomad 
#amazingiceland 
#icelandgoldencircle 
#discovericeland 
#icelandtravel
#icelandroadtrip
Показать ещё Инстаграм

© Theme by Purethemes.net. All Rights Reserved.