clevernby
January 16, 2024
I originally wanted to go to Kurokawa Onsen, but it was too popular and all the good hotels were booked. When looking for alternative options, I accidentally noticed Minami Aso Village. Although it is not as well-known as Kurokawa, its comprehensive index is not inferior at all.
In terms of transportation, take the Hohi Main Line from Kumamoto to Higo Otsu and then change to the same line to Tateno Station. There are also trains that can go directly to Tateno Station, but there are not many trains. Most of them go to Higo Otsu, so you have to change once. In addition, please note that IC cards cannot be swiped at Tateno Station, and all cards cannot be used. Remember to buy a ticket when taking a bus to Tateno Station, and never swipe the card when entering the station. After arriving at Tateno Station, change to Minami Aso Railway. This is a private railway line that focuses on One Piece. It is very distinctive and the scenery along the way is also very healing. It is considered a tourist attraction. Note that Minami Aso Railway cannot swipe cards. Get on the train at the back door to get a ticket, and get off the train at the front door to pay cash. If you don’t have change, you can use the two change machines on the train to exchange, which is very convenient. The nearest station to the hotel is Hakusui-kogen Station. You can contact the hotel in advance to arrange a time. They can pick you up at the station. If you find it troublesome and want to walk around and see the rural scenery of Japan, it took us about an hour to walk to the hotel and take pictures along the way. The second half was a bit tiring because it was a climb.
In terms of attractions, we went to the popular Kamishiromi Kumanoza Shrine. It was worth the trip. The hotel was also very considerate to help pick us up at Hakusui-kogen Station. From here, take the tram to Takamori Station, and then change to the Sanko Bus Kamishiromi Loop Line. The back mountain of the hotel is actually quite nice to visit. We found an ancient site called Sixteen Arhats on the map and wanted to explore it. Unfortunately, the epidemic has not been maintained for several years, and the road up the mountain is broken and cannot be walked, but the scenery along the way is still good.
In terms of dining, the hotel includes two meals, both of which are eaten in the room. The main dishes are sukiyaki, small hot pot and steamed beef. The side dishes are sashimi, horse meat sashimi, pot, steamed food, etc., which are very rich and taste good.
As for the hot springs, the hotel's feature is that each room has its own private hot spring, which should be more in line with the preferences of Chinese people and also suitable for couples. I basically took three hot springs a day during the few days I stayed there, which was not too comfortable.
Original TextTranslation provided by Google