Homestays in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

it was a very cute place!! the owner seemed like she loved the place very much, and was decorated very nicely. it’s a women’s only hostel, so i was glad that i was born a woman. i got one of the rooms - very clean, and the shred kitchen was nicely decorated. you can see the castle on the rooftop.

It’s a good private house. But I’m won’t recommend if weather is cold or raining, or if you’re traveling with young kids. I travelled with my family with two toddlers. The bath and onsen are outdoors, not quite well lit and not well covered. The hot water water pressure is low, and the water is either very hot or very cold. It was a cold, raining and windy that night. It was a horrible experience for us because of the above, and the kids had a lot of trouble taking a bath. And we were worried they might catch a cold. And strangely the door lock of the bath is locked from the outside and not from the inside. Also remember to buy food before entering. We bought ours and cooked our own dinner. Otherwise, it’s a good private house, probably best for adults.

The landlady was incredibly warm and welcoming! This place is perfect for self-drivers, and it’s very easy to find with navigation. Shops nearby close quite early, with the latest being a supermarket that shuts around 8 PM. I'd recommend buying groceries beforehand and cooking your own meals, as the kitchen is free to use. On the second morning, after all the other guests had left, my children were able to explore the guesthouse, and it's quite spacious. Before we left, the landlady even took us outside to pick blueberries to eat in the car!

Unlike other hotels that send you the check-in information beforehand, you are required to scan the QR Code on the door, input the relevant information before the owners email you the door access code. It wasn't immediately apparent so I had to call the owner, and wasted 15min of international call time. However, entering the room was a great delight! It was much more spacious than expected. The living conditions were very comfortable. You can lie on the shammock on the rooftop as well to watch the stars. The restaurants around close by 5pm. It would probably be better had I spend more nights here to rest and simply do nothing.

My brother and me had a terrific stay in the beautiful setting. The drive up the mountain on a tiny road is well worth it. The hostess is so friendly and wonderful, and was so hospitable.  She explained the food dishes that were served using Google translate. The food was amazing, so varied and included local specialties: Trout, fried moth larvae, black moss that grows on rocks ( local delicatessen), wild hog soup, deer sashimi, etc. We experienced the finest Japanese food and hospitality. Traditional bedroom with tatami mats and access to the unsen were added amenities. Thank you for the memorable experience! Laurent

Although it took a lot of setbacks to find this homestay (I thought it was a hotel 🏨) (Ctrip's name is not accurate at all, depressed 😒), but you can’t say that I would choose a place to live [呲牙], if not outside It’s dark, I can’t take pictures, otherwise the effect would be better: next to a small river, coming in is a small garden, very quiet, the room is an ensuite, everything is there, I will come back to the hot spring after eating delicious food in the evening. ♨️, have a good night’s sleep, and you will have a good walk around tomorrow morning[悠闲][悠闲]

While the inn is in a remote location, this is not a problem if you are traveling by car as it's a mere 5 min drive from the Takamori train station - with convenience stores a short walk away. The lady host of the inn was kind and helpful throughout our short atay despite our inability to speak Japanese. Do note that the kitchen is closed but there is a working microwave oven if you need to heat up your food.

The service was absolutely incredible. The location was a bit awkward, being a 5-minute drive from Kurokawa Onsen (but a 30-minute walk). I emailed them beforehand to explain the situation and requested a pick-up, which they happily accommodated. We even missed our pre-booked highway bus from Fukuoka to Kurokawa and had to change the time on the day, but they still helped us. The highway bus was incredibly slow, making us 40 minutes late for our agreed-upon pick-up time. I almost teared up feeling both apologetic and grateful to the elderly owners, who helped us so kindly without showing any sign of inconvenience. I want to express my sincere gratitude again. Thank you so much! Thanks to them, my four friends and I had a wonderful trip in Kurokawa. The owner's wife advised us in Japanese to book a taxi for the evening from the information center. However, as our Japanese isn't very good, we kept putting it off and ended up not booking one. As a result, after finishing our onsen and dinner, my four friends and I had to walk for over 30 minutes along a dark forest road to get back to our accommodation ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ. For others, please make sure to book a taxi for your return trip at the information center as soon as you arrive at the onsen. It's a very rural area where you can't call for a taxi, and cars are rarely seen after 8 PM. Walking back to Mori No Cottage is just not something a person should do. It was so hard. It was dark, scary, and the uphill climb was exhausting. Aside from that, the accommodation itself was excellent. It was a wooden cottage, and I heard the owner's husband designed it himself. It was a very comfortable, clean, and pleasant place to stay. The next day, we had to return to Fukuoka, so they helped us with a pick-up to the highway bus stop at 9:30 AM. However, they dropped us off at the wrong spot, and it could have been a big problem if we hadn't moved to the correct location. We almost missed the bus again. I think there was a communication error because our Japanese isn't very good. It turns out we were supposed to get off at Fukuoka Airport, not Yufuin or Beppu. Thankfully, we managed to get to the correct stop, so there were no issues in the end. I think it's crucial for others to communicate very clearly. All in all, I was truly grateful and happy.

The buildings and facilities were old and a little old. It was enough for the price because it was put in the hot spring with breakfast and the room was large. It was written that the private room bath could not be used. There is also time for hot springs, so if you check in late, you may not take a bath until morning. If you have breakfast, the extension will come and wake you up when you have breakfast.

The semi-open-air hot spring was fantastic! The wooden decor smelled wonderful. Parking was very convenient. Towels, yukatas, and flip-flops were provided for visiting Kurokawa Old Town. A microwave was also available, which was very convenient!