About Tabinoyu
Tabinoyu is an independent Ryokan located in the mountains north of Kirishima. You have to get to it by going up a mountain road, on which it sits near the end.
In addition to traditional Ryokan rooms (multi-purpose tatami rooms that you rent for eating and sleeping), there are also mountain cabins that you can rent as well as a camping area.
Tabinoyu also has a large onsen with sauna complex that is available to both overnight guests and day-use guests.
Finally, there is a soba restaurant there that is run by the same owners and is open for lunch and early dinner.
Location
Tabinoyu sits in a more remote mountain location in Kirishima Kinkowan National Park. It’s only accessible by car.
When it is sunny, there are some amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the many valleys in this area.
As it sits at the edge of the national park, if you have a car, it is easy to reach various places in this area, including some of the waterfalls and places like Kirishima Jingu.
Gallery
About the Room
We rented two rooms as we were 3 people: a single tatami room and a double tatami room. The rooms were identical and very similar in size. The only difference was that the double room has a second futon set.
The room came with a kotatsu table (which doubles as a space heater in the winter) and a television on a small stand.
Ryokan do not typically have showers. Instead you use the onsen to stay clean, and shampoo and body wash is provided. Tabinoyu is the same.
The good
As I was travelling with friends and did not make the reservation, I have not posted a review online. However, this is what I would have said:
The atmosphere here is amazing being on the edge of the mountains. The onsen area was also well taken care of and very large. There were also very few people there, so we often had the entire place to ourselves, which was excellent.
The bad
As I was travelling with friends and did not make the reservation, I have not posted a review online. However, this is what I would have said:
The futon was very old and very thin, so it was easy to feel the floor through it. While I did add the winter futon on top of it, it was not enough to make it more comfortable. I would definitely change that.
The Ryokan is also older and the part where we stayed seemed to be in need of some renovations. Overall good but very tired looking.
What I did while there
Verdict
If I have a car again, I would definitely stay here again if I’m in the area and in need of a retreat from society. The onsen facilities were very nice and large, so you don’t feel crowded like you can in other places. I also liked that it had an outdoor pool as well, which you could use between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
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