Day-use bath · Open
Nyuto tegata bath-hopping pass (25 participating baths)
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 施設ごとに異なる(例 8:30–21:00、9:00–17:00)checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Mainly sulfur springs, with types differing from inn to inn (Wikipedia)
- Source temperature
- 80–98°C
- pH
- Unconfirmed
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Silky / slippery
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
One cedar tag buys you three open-air baths at three different inns. Begun by six inns in 1986, the pass has turned thirty inns into a single ryokan.
Why?
The Kurokawa Onsen Ryokan Association's site records that the nyuto tegata pass began with six inns in 1986, is cut from thinned cedar and cypress of the Oguni district, is valid six months for three open-air baths (or two plus a food or shop item), covers 30 inns and 25 baths, and that the town's motto is 'Kurokawa Onsen as one ryokan'.[1][2]
Facilities in this area
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
Public bathhouse · Open
Ana-yu communal bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Public bathhouse · Open
Jizo-yu communal bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From Hakata Station in Fukuoka, a direct express bus (Sanko Bus) takes about 2 h 45 min. From Oita Station, Kamenoi Bus to Yufuin (about 1 h 8 min), then the Kyushu Odan trans-island bus to Kurokawa (about 1 h 37 min). From Kumamoto Station: JR Hohi Line to Higo-Ozu (about 40 min), the Yamabiko bus to Aso Station (about 53 min), Sanko Bus Tsuetate line to Minamioguni town hall (about 53 min), then about 10 minutes by car.
- Getting there
- Hakata Station (direct express bus) · 165
- Through the year
- At about 700 m; winter snow and ice details not confirmed
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Kurokawa's water is mostly sulfur spring, but each inn has its own source and the types differ. Wikipedia gives source temperatures of 80–98 °C from a shallow layer about 20 m down. The village sits at about 700 m, with only one tropical night in the past ten years (association press release), and many inns let their hot sources cool in open-air tubs. Bath-hopping with the pass lets you compare three different waters in one town; check each inn's posted analysis for figures.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurokawa (inns' own sources) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Bath-hopping with the nyuto tegata
Sold at the Kaze-no-ya information centre and at each inn A wooden tag of thinned Oguni cedar or cypress with three stickers on the back, good for three of the 25 participating open-air baths (or two plus a food or shop item), valid six months. Children (3 to primary school) 700 yen; the adult price could not be read from the official page. Visiting hours vary by inn, e.g. 8:30–21:00.
One per cent of sales funds landscaping and conservation. Visit all 24 inns and you are certified a 'bath-hopping master'.[2]
Photo information
A village unified by native trees
Along the Tanohara River around Marusuzu Bridge Loud signs were toned down and native broadleaf trees planted to give the whole village the look of a mountain hamlet. Goto Tetsuya of the Shinmeikan inn led the way with a hand-dug cave bath and 'open-air baths that feel natural', and the other inns followed (Wikipedia).
Treating the whole resort rather than any one inn as the product earned two stars in the 2009 Michelin Green Guide.[3]
Photo information
Yuakari lanterns and Ana-yu
Along the Tanohara River From 20 December to 31 March the Yuakari lights bamboo ball lanterns along the river; from 1 June to 30 September paper umbrellas take over ('Kasa Andon'). On the bank stand the two communal baths, Ana-yu and Jizo-yu (Wikipedia).
The lanterns are made from neglected bamboo groves, keeping both the material and the money for the landscape inside the town.[1][3]
The story
The Jizo that took the blame
In the legend a man named Jinkichi from Bungo stole melons for his sick father and was to be beheaded, but a stone Jizo took the blow in his place. Hot water welled from the crack in the rock where the Jizo's head was enshrined, and Kurokawa Onsen was born. The Jizo hall still stands at the heart of the village, and used bathing passes are offered there.[3]
Winning as a town, not as one inn
Even after the Yamanami Highway opened in 1961 and the town was designated a National Health Resort in 1964, Kurokawa remained an obscure cure village. The turning point was Goto Tetsuya of the Shinmeikan, who dug a cave bath by hand and built open-air baths that felt wild; other inns followed, muting their signs and planting native trees. In 1986 six inns launched the bathing pass, a device for sharing guests across the whole town. In 2009 the Michelin Green Guide Japan gave Kurokawa two stars.[3][2]
The pass pays for the view
The pass is cut from thinned cedar and cypress of the Oguni hills, and one per cent of sales goes to landscaping and conservation; the winter lanterns are woven from neglected bamboo groves. About 900,000 people visit a year, 300,000 of them overnight (association, 2026). From July 2026 to March 2027 the pass turns forty, with 50,000 commemorative tags. The motto 'Kurokawa Onsen as one ryokan' is a statement of intent: thirty inns run as a single house.[2][6][1]
Going solo
Solo stay unconfirmedUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerEateries in the village including horse-sashimi; some accept a pass sticker
Private bathUnconfirmed
checked 2026-10-09
Through the year
Recommended months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Months open
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar — Yuakari lanterns along the river, 20 Dec–31 Mar
Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep — Kasa Andon umbrella lanterns 1 Jun–30 Sep; cool summers at 700 m
Oct — Thanksgiving festival on 3 October, the village's biggest event
Nov — Autumn colour in the planted woodland
Food, culture & experiences
Jizo hall
Enshrines the Jizo of the founding legend, said to have taken a thief's punishment; hot water sprang from where its head was laid[3][5]
Centre of the village, 3 minutes' walkHorse sashimi and Oguni produce
A Kumamoto speciality, served in the village[2]
In the villageHiking in Aso-Kuju National Park
The association site lists walking trails nearby[1]
By car from the villageNyuto tegata 40th anniversary project
July 2026–March 2027: 50,000 commemorative passes and a summer 'Yusuzumi' programme (18 Jul–22 Aug 2026)[6]
In the villageEditors' guide
Buy a pass at Kaze-no-ya on arrival, check each inn's visiting hours on the map, then choose three: one cave or riverside bath, one with a view from the slopes, one with a different water. Mornings are quietest. Leave the used tag at the Jizo hall. In winter stay for the lanterns after dark. By bus, the direct Fukuoka service is simplest; book the return in advance.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet. While the review platform is being prepared, we do not display fictional reviews or ratings.
Review posting is in preparation, with visit date, facility, comments on water, scenery and access, photos, language and reporting.
Onsen areas nearby
Unconfirmed & notes
- Adult price of the pass could not be read from the official page (child 700 yen confirmed)
- Fee, hours and gender arrangements of Ana-yu and Jizo-yu unconfirmed from official sources
- Per-source temperature, pH and minerals unconfirmed (Wikipedia range only)
- Inn solo terms, winter road conditions and bus frequency/fares unconfirmed
Sources
- 黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合 公式サイト黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合 · 2026-10-09
- 入湯手形(黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合)黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合 · 2026-10-09
- 黒川温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · 2026-10-09
- アクセス(黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合)黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合 · 2026-10-09
- スポット(黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合)黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合 · 2026-10-09
- 黒川温泉『入湯手形』40周年プロジェクト(プレスリリース 2026年6月28日)黒川温泉観光旅館協同組合(PR TIMES) · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 黒川温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11678251Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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