Exploring Kurokawa Onsen with a Bath Pass: A Stroll Through a Mountain Hot Spring Town
Exploring Kurokawa Onsen with a Bath Pass: A Stroll Through a Mountain Hot Spring Town
MAP ・ 6 SPOTS
Exploring Kurokawa Onsen with a Bath Pass: A Stroll Through a Mountain Hot Spring Town
Nestled in the cedar-covered mountains north of Mount Aso, Kurokawa Onsen is a hot spring town designed to feel like one single, welcoming inn. Wearing a wooden bath pass (tegata) around your neck, you can pick three open-air baths to visit at different traditional ryokan. From Kaze no Ie, where you pick up your pass, to the public baths of Jizo-yu and Ana-yu via charming slopes and river paths, this map charts the lovely strolls between relaxing soaks. Following the July 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, the hot spring town has continued to operate normally since the very next day (as of September 2026).
2026.09.29
·Total ~280m
SPOT
Kaze no Ie
Kurokawa Onsen's visitor information center. Your journey begins here by picking up a wooden bath pass and choosing which outdoor baths to try. The passes are lovingly handmade by locals using thinned Oguni cedar.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺６５９４−３
SPOT
Igozaka Slope
A gentle slope leading down from Sakura-dori to Kawabata-dori. With cozy shops lining both sides, it's where you can best feel the lively, nostalgic charm of this onsen town.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺６９９２−１
SPOT
Jizo-do Hall
A small hall enshrining a headless Jizo statue tied to the founding legend of Kurokawa Onsen. Visitors hang their used bath passes here as an offering, filling the grounds with wooden charms.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺６６１２−２
SPOT
Jizo-yu
A public bathhouse right across from Jizo-do Hall. Said to be where hot spring water first welled up in Kurokawa, it sits right at the heart of the town.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺黒川６６０６
SPOT
Marusuzu Bridge
A bridge offering quintessential Kurokawa views. The row of traditional inns paired with the riverside trees changes beautifully with every season.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺６６００−１
SPOT
Ana-yu
A quiet public bathhouse sitting by the river at the bottom of the slope. Tucked away from the busier streets, it offers a peaceful, secluded soak.
〒869-2402 熊本県阿蘇郡南小国町満願寺６５４１