Kumamoto Prefecture

Have you been to Kumamoto prefecture? It was my first time to visit the prefecture although I was there only for one day. We traveld around Ohita prefecture and drove south to Kumamoto and flew back from Kumamoto Airport to Haneda Airport. There is a famous road called Yamanami highway that runs between these two prefectures (Ohita and Kumamoto) which is free and surrounded by beautiful colored trees and mountains! Mount Aso which is located in Kumamoto is the largest volcano in Japan. Surprisingly, Moutn Aso erupted in late October 2021 which was right before our trip to Kyushu in early November so we were not able to get closer to see the volcano but enjoyed other parts of the prefecture.

Kurokawa Onsen (Kurokawa Hot Spring)

Kurokawa Onsen is one of the most attractive hot spring towns in Japan which is lcoated in Kumamoto prefecture. Its Roten buro (open-air spa bath) is very popular and travelers like to stroll around Kurokawa Onsen in Yukatas from one Ryokan to another with onsen-hopping passes. The historic and elegant view of Kurokawa Onsen is perfect for a picture. We visted Kurokawa Onsen in early November but it was quite cold already so was good to enjoy the hot spring!

Kurokawa Onsen Ryokan Associationryokan list,Kurokawa,onsen,Japan,Aso,spa,hot springs,Sightseeing

We stayed in the Onsen Ryokan (Hotel) called Oyado Noshiyu (Please see the link below).

熊本県・黒川温泉「お宿のし湯」＜公式サイト＞ (noshiyu.jp)

The price of this ryokan was quite reasonable but you can enjoy great food and Onsen with the atmosphere of ancient times. Here are some of the pictures from Oyado Noshiyu.

Aso Jinja (Aso Shrine)

We also went to Aso Shrine, a Shinto Shrine in Aso, Kumamoto. Aso Shirne is one of the oldest shrines in Japan but unfortunately, got heavily damaged by the earthquakes that hit Kumamoto in 2016. In the picture below, you can see the shrine’s tower gate and worship hall got completely destroyed. The new worship hall was built in 2021 as you can see in the pictures below. There are still a lot of areas in the shrine that are under the construction but hopefully, we can see the entire beautiful Aso shrine in the near future.