Kyushu

      Ryokan Fujimoto, Aso Onsen We arrived at our second lodge.  Our most favorite Onsen, Fujimoto. Ryokan Fujimoto     Fujimoto has only 8 rooms.  It’s a small ryokan.  That’s one of the reasons we like about it.  Kurokawa Onsen is a great place with lots of different Onsen spas and the whole village itself is like a heritage.  But sometimes it can be too much tourism. Fujimoto is always private.  You go bathe in the onsen for so many times and hardly see or hear other people.   They recently renovate all their 8 rooms.   Very comfortable modern Japanese design.           We liked […]

  Our first lodge was Ikoi Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto.  About 2-hour drive from Fukuoka.   Ikoi Ryokan, Kurokawa Onsen   Ikoi Ryokan is a pretty lodge with a dozen of onsen baths of different tastes. Ikoi Ryokan, Kurokawa Onsen   The arctic cold air mass was pushing down for the last time of the season.  It was getting chilly.  Just the way we would like it.  You don’t get this kind of chill in Okinawa.   Walking up the hill to one of private onsen baths.   All the onsen baths here are flow-through.  The onsen spring source is at 68C degrees and they let the water flow through […]

  It was March.  We had the craving again to go to a cold place and bathe in onsen. I grabbed a sales with Peach Aviation and got a JPY12000 round trip to Fukuoka.   Arrived in the morning.  We hurried to our favorite breakfast.   Uogashi, Fukuoka   Uogashi is located in Nagahama Fish Market Building.   This place is a high-class restaurant for expensive dinner.  But they provide very cheap, super fish plate for breakfast and lunch.   Saba (mackerel) sashimi and teri braized Mackerel.  This is JPY1080.   Goma Saba.  This is Fukuoka special.  Mackerel sashimi with sesami powder with sweet Kyushu soy sauce.   This is light-roasted Sardine on […]

Fujimoto is a traditional Japanese Onsen spa, located a little off of famous Kurokawa Onsen.  We just love this place for many qualities and this is our third visit. Just see some photos of this beautiful spa.   They got only 8 rooms.  We’ve got a Japanese style room, but some rooms have beds. The rates depend on the seasons and dates, but it’s about JPY20,000 per night per person, including dinner, breakfast and of course Onsen.  We can’t afford to stay for several days, but we find it worth to travel all the way and stay even just for 1 day.   Ohagi for complimentary sweet. We go straight to Onsen […]

We stayed a night in Fukuoka. Today we were renting a car and heading out to Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto. But first, we need to fill up.   Hakata Uogashi, on the 1st floor of fish market building.   This is my kind of restaurant!  Fresh fish in simple cooking for cheap price.   Sashimi Bowl, JPY980.   Breakfast of the day, JPY650!!! 2 breaded sardines and teri braised yellowtail.   The yellowtail was so juicy.   Grilled yellowtail.  JPY650!  This was a big fillet!   2 big sardines.  Simply grilled with salt.  JPY760! This kind of grilled fish like sardines and mackerels used to be so common for Japanese everyday meals before our […]

Fukuoka has become one of our favorite get-away places since this LCC started flying out of Okinawa.  By getting the promotional rate, we bought the round trip for JPY14000 each this time.   Tatsumi Sushi. We came here 4 years ago.  Loved the quality and the price.   We love eating at the counter.  But we were a group of 4 this time and they have assigned a room for us on the 2nd floor.     A nice room with privacy.   Lunch course is available at JPY2900, JPY3900, JPY5200.  We chose JPY3900 course.   Starting with steamed egg pudding.  Based on very flavorful chicken broth.   A little salad.   Gari, pickled […]