1. The Onsen-Hopping Pass

Immediately upon our arrival to Kurokawa, we stopped into the Visitor's Center to purchase our onsen-hopping pass. The pass, which is a small wooden necklace, lets you enjoy almost any three baths in town for only ¥1300 total! It is super convenient and well worth the money. If the great deal isn’t enough to convince you, you can also take the wooden pass home with you as a souvenir!

WARNING: Choose your three onsens wisely or you might be living with regret for the rest of your life…

2. Shala

The locals informed us that Kurokawa’s soba is nihonichi (like everything else in this country). So for lunch, we decided to try a quaint little soba restaurant called Shala. After experiencing its beautiful atmosphere, interacting with the friendly staff, and savoring every bite of their melt-in-your-mouth noodles, we left with happy hearts and bellies. We even got free drinks at the end of our meal thanks to our onsen passes!

WARNING: Try to resist the urge to overeat because it’s easy to do and hurts a lot…

3. Yamanoyado Shinmeikan

After our stomachs were appeased, our next priority was warming up our frigid bodies so we headed to the famous cave-onsens of Yamanoyado Shinmeikan. As we entered the caves it felt as if we were wandering into a mysterious and undiscovered land. The dark, steam-filled tunnels and showerless “changing area” made this onsen extra unique. Yamanoyado Shinmeikan features a private, female cave/bath and two technically mixed baths, but in reality they’re both only occupied by males.

WARNING: If you choose to soak in the male, open-air bath, take caution. You might be nude-photobombing a tourist’s selfie across the bridge!

4. Aso Kujyu Kogen Youth Hostel

Kurokawa Onsen Village offers a plethora of options for Japanese-style Ryokans within the village. We however, on a tight budget, chose to stay at Aso Kujyu Kogen Youth Hostel instead, which is unfortunately not within walking distance of town. It might not have been much, but it was all and more than we needed! We were greeted by a cheerful man with a big smile, although he didn’t speak much English, an endless supply of mikans, which we attempted to disprove was actually endless and failed, as well as cookies, tea and coffee. Although it was freezing outside, we had no trouble staying warm thanks to the various heaters and mountains of extra blankets!

WARNING: Don’t lean on the walls in the rooms unless you want your clothes to be wet. I’m no scientist, but I think it has something to do with it being colder outside the room than inside. Condensation?

5. Yamatake

After checking into the hostel, our stomachs were empty once again. This time we decided to go for some savory Japanese barbecue. My husband and I decided to take the group to Yamatake, the restaurant I mentioned at the beginning of this post, because we had thoroughly enjoyed it the first time we visited Kurokawa. Once again we were greeted by a variety of mountain potato dishes, yaki niku over our charcoal-grill table, and skewered fish and vegetables. This restaurant offers a traditional and authentic culinary experience, plus it feels fantastic to warm up around a hot table!

6. Ryokan Sanga

We concluded a perfect day in Kurokawa with a late-night soak at Ryokan Sanga. This spectacular outdoor onsen was the unanimous favorite among our group. The water contains a number of minerals including hydrogen carbonate, chloride and sulfate that, according to the Japanese, all work in magical ways to help your body retain heat. It worked!! Sanga is a perfect choice before bed as it kept us warm all night long.

WARNING: Make sure you don’t stay in the water too long and drink lots of water because this onsen is HOT!

7. Choux Cream from Patisserie Roku

Patisserie Roku is fairly hard to miss. It is located in the heart of the village, surrounded by Ryokans, cafes and omiyage shops on all sides. Take one step inside and you will encounter the aroma of heaven as you observe the bakers hard at work making seasonal pastries, breads, cookies and cakes. Our favorite, and apparently most popular judging from the line out the door, were the delectable choux (sounds like shoe, but doesn’t taste like it) cream pastries. Don’t even bother fighting the urge because you’re going to buy more than one.

WARNING: I repeat my previous warning of overeating as well as this: get there early enough to get your hands on a tasty choux-cream pastry before they sell out!

8. Ryokan Nanjyouen

Our final stop was the onsen at Ryokan Nanjyouen, conveniently located across the parking lot from the Kurokawa visitors’ center. Because it’s conspicuously tucked away in the corner of the lot without any distinguishing features, it could be easy to miss. But take a few steps down the stairs and you will find a delightful little onsen with an outdoor fire pit and onsen-eggs! Nanjyouen features segregated indoor and outdoor baths for males and females with showers and changing rooms, a convenience not offered by many of the other onsens in Kurokawa.

WARNING: The male bath is apparently not what you see in the picture on the brochure. To enjoy the serene, outdoor rock bath, you have to be a female. Lucky for us!

After soaking in three completely different onsens, slurping down delicious nihonichi soba, crashing in our warm hostel beds, and enjoying the cheerful company of close friends, we were sad that the weekend had to come to an end so abruptly. Our experience at Kurokawa was unforgettable. Though it was difficult to say goodbye to one of the most enchanted places we’ve discovered in Japan, we know it’s more of a ‘see you later’ anyways!