Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto: Bath Passes, Day Baths and the Jizo Hall

This guide covers the Nyuto Tegata bath pass, day-trip baths at the inns, the Jizo hall and yearly events, and the practical details of visiting Kurokawa Onsen.

At Kurokawa Onsen you can use a Nyuto Tegata bath pass to bathe in the outdoor baths of different inns, so the day is easy to build around the baths themselves. You walk from inn to inn, choose the baths you want as you go, and let meals, shops and short walks fill the gaps in between.

Many facilities in the town accept cash only, so bring enough with you before you start walking. The onsen town also has a Jizo hall where a Jizo Festival is held every year. The Kazenoya tourist information office is a natural starting point if you want to get your bearings before heading to the inns.

The Nyuto Tegata Bath Pass

Visitors in yukata walk along a narrow lane between wooden inn buildings and green trees.

With the tegata in hand, you can walk between the inns and soak in a choice of their outdoor baths. A separate children's pass is sold for younger bathers. Buy the pass, keep it with you for the day, and use the table below to check what it costs, how long it stays valid and when you can use it.

Item	Detail
Adult pass	1,500 yen
Children's pass	700 yen
Validity	6 months from the purchase date
Bathing hours with the pass	8:30 to 21:00
What the pass covers	any 3 open-air baths at about 25 inns

Rows of round wooden bath pass tokens hang from a rack.

The pass stays valid for months after you buy it, so it does not all have to be used on the day you arrive. Bathing with the pass runs from the morning into the evening, which leaves room to spread the baths out rather than take them back to back.

Day-Trip Baths at the Inns

Even without the tegata, you can bathe at an inn by paying a fee there. Reception times for day visitors differ from inn to inn, so check the table below before you decide where to go. The table also shows the day each year when the inns' outdoor baths are free to enter.

Because the reception windows differ, you can combine an inn that takes day visitors into the evening with an inn that takes them only earlier in the day. Pick the inns by the time you expect to arrive and the time you need to leave, and the baths will fit around the rest of the day.

Inn or item	Detail
Day-trip bathing at each inn without the pass	500 to 800 yen
Day-trip reception hours, general	generally 8:30 to 21:00, varying by inn
Last day-trip reception	20:30
Senomoto Kogen Hotel	8:30 to 21:00, last entry 20:30
Kono-yu	8:30 to 21:00, last entry 20:30
Ryokan Misato	10:00 to 21:00, last entry 20:30
Shinmeikan	10:30 to 15:00, last entry 14:30
Kurokawaso	10:00 to 15:00, last entry 14:30
Ikoi Ryokan	from 8:30, last entry 20:30, closes at 21:00
Roten-buro no Hi (open-air bath day)	June 26 each year; the open-air baths of each inn are opened free of charge

Steam rises over a riverside outdoor bath framed by large rocks and maple leaves.

The Jizo Hall and Yearly Events

The wooden Jizo hall glows at night with small lanterns in front.

The onsen town has a Jizo hall, and every year a Jizo Festival is held there. In autumn the Yoshihara Kagura autumn festival takes place at night. From winter into spring, the bamboo lanterns of Yuakari are lit from sunset into the night, so an evening walk through the town goes well with a late bath.

• Jizo Festival at the Jizo hall in the onsen town: May 8 each year
• Yoshihara Kagura autumn festival: the night of September 20 each year
• Yuakari bamboo lanterns, from around Christmas to the end of March: lit from sunset until 22:00

Walking the Town: Shops, Bicycles and Parking

Plan to pay in cash, because many places do not take other forms of payment. Kazenoya, the tourist information office, is the place to ask while you are in the town. Rental bicycles are available if you would rather ride than walk. If you drive in, there is a paid parking lot; see the table for the charges.

If you want to walk further than the main street, Hirano-dai can be reached at a slow pace on foot from the town. The Hitotsuya-nobori course is another walking route in the area. Shop times vary from shop to shop, so the table gives a general range rather than fixed times.

Item	Detail
Kazenoya tourist information office	9:00 to 17:00
Shop hours	generally around 9:00 to 18:00, varying by shop
Rental bicycle	220 yen per hour; 2,200 yen per day
The 4th parking lot	free for 20 minutes, then 200 yen per hour; maximum 1,000 yen per 24 hours
Hirano-dai from the town	about a 1-hour slow walk
Hitotsuya-nobori course	about 4.1 km one way, about 1.5 hours
Cash	many facilities accept cash only

Autumn leaves line the river beside the main street and the inn buildings.

If you would rather have the day arranged for you, look at tours that include Kurokawa Onsen.

Getting to Kurokawa Onsen

The route you take depends on where you start, so the steps below run from each starting point to the town in the order you travel them. Allow for the short walk from where you get off to the information office when you plan the day.

If you are coming from Fukuoka, this is the route.

1. Take the highway bus from Fukuoka (Tenjin) to Kurokawa Onsen: 3 hours 6 minutes.
2. The adult one-way fare from Fukuoka (Tenjin) to Kurokawa Onsen is 4,000 yen.
3. Walk from the bus stop to the Kazenoya tourist information office: about 10 minutes.

If you are coming through Aso, follow this route.

1. Take the Sanko Bus Tsuetate line from Aso Station to the Minamioguni Town Office bus stop: 53 minutes.
2. Go from the Minamioguni Town Office bus stop to Kurokawa Onsen: 10 minutes by car.

If you are coming through Beppu and Yufuin, follow this route.

1. Take the Kamenoi bus from Beppu Station to Yufuin Station: 1 hour 8 minutes.
2. Take the Kyushu Odan Bus from Yufuin Station to Kurokawa Onsen: 1 hour 37 minutes.

If you would like to stay overnight, browse places to stay in Kurokawa Onsen.