from Kumamoto to Kurokawa

We are planning on visiting Mt. Aso, Kumamoto City, and and stay overnight in an onsen in Kurokawa. We have 2 days, and our point of arrival and departure is Fukuoka. What is the best itinerary?

I am thinking arrive to Mt. Aso eary morning from Fukuoka, spend the afternoon there, and then head to Kurokawa. Kumamoto the next day and then head back to Fukuoka.

If staying overnight in a ryokan at an onsen village, what time is it best to get there? Would we miss out on dinner or anything else if we arrive after 5:00pm?

And lastly, the onsen we would like to stay in, Ikoi Ryokan, does not have an English website.. Is it possible to arrive there and see what is avaliable, without booking in advance? (It will be on a tuesday, march 13)

Thanks!

What is the best itinerary?

It depends on your mode of transport!

A rental car is very convenient in the Aso region and gives you more flexibility than public transportation:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

If a car is not an option, I recommend to take the train to Kumamoto and then take the bus to Kyusanko bus from Kumamoto (departure 10:00) via Aso to Kurokawa (arrival 14:51). The bus journey includes a lunch break near the crater of Mount Aso. Then, on day 2, take the direct bus from Kurokawa back to Fukuoka (4 hours).

Kumamoto - Aso - Kurokawa:
http://www.kyusanko.co.jp/sankobus/kyushu_odan/kumamoto_20061001.php

Kurokawa - Fukuoka:
http://www.kyusanko.co.jp/sankobus/change/timetable.html

If staying overnight in a ryokan at an onsen village, what time is it best to get there?

Most ryokan serve dinner between 18:00 and 20:00, so I recommend to be there at 18:00 at the latest. I personally like to take a bath before dinner, so, I usually try to arrive at the ryokan by 17:00 at the latest.

Is it possible to arrive there and see what is avaliable, without booking in advance?

I strongly recommend to make reservations in advance! It is very unusual to just show up at a ryokan.

Here is a site that let's you make reservation for some Kurokawa ryokan in English:
http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/kurokawa/index.htm

I hope you will enjoy your trip. Kurokawa is my favorite onsen town in Japan!

My husband and I went to Kurokawa onsen last October, on a Tuesday night, without reservations. There is a very busy tourist information office there; I don't know how much English they speak, but they asked us our budget, gave us brochures, and called & got us a reservation at the place we asked for. I loved Kurokawa.
The places that are listed with www.japaneseguesthouses.com were full that night, though. If the place you are interested in has an e-mail address you can try to e-mailing them, sometimes places will answer english e-mails.

Thank you so much for the help!

Uji, regarding the bus to Kurakawa via Aso.. how much time is given in Aso and will it be enough to take the cable car over the crater?

Also, is there only way back to Fukuoka by bus? Becuase 4 hours seems a bit long, would it make sence to go back to Kumamoto and take the train?

We need to be in Fukuoka by 19:00, what time is the bus departing Kurokawa which we would need to take? I am sorry, I dont understand japanese.

One last question, are all the onsens in Kurokawa fairly close together? Should we worry about the location of our onsen, to make sure we can walk in the village, or are they all in proximity to each other?

Many thanks Again!

how much time is given in Aso and will it be enough to take the cable car over the crater?

90 minutes. It should be enough time to see the crater. Note that sometimes you cannot go all the way to the crater due to poisonous gases.

Also, is there only way back to Fukuoka by bus? Becuase 4 hours seems a bit long, would it make sence to go back to Kumamoto and take the train?

Sorry, it was a mistake! The direct bus between Kurokawa and Fukuoka takes only 3 hours!

You can also go back via Kumamoto in about 4 hours. Or even via Beppu also in about 4 hours.

We need to be in Fukuoka by 19:00, what time is the bus departing Kurokawa which we would need to take?

I recommend to take the direct bus to Fukuoka at 14:30, arriving at Fukuoka's Hakata Station at 17:41.

One last question, are all the onsens in Kurokawa fairly close together?

No. While many are concentrated close to the town center, some of the nicests ones, e.g. Yamamizuki, are located fairly outside of the town center. Another reason why a rental car is a convenient option.

Advance reservations are required for both the Kumamoto - Aso - Kurokawa - Beppu bus and the Kurokawa - Fukuoka bus.

Dear Uji,

So greatful for your help. A few more questions. Since the Kumamoto-Aso-Kurokawa bus leaves Kumamoto at 10:00am, do you think it would make sense for us to go straight to Aso from Fukuoka, becuase since we are arriving that same day we would not have any time to explore Kumamoto.

In terms of the car rental, is it possible to do it with a US driver's lincense? And also, how easy is the area to navigate? Would we risk getting lost? I know most cars come with a navigation system, but is it all in japanese?

We reserved the Sanga ryokan, have you heard anything about it?

Thanks!

K.B.

We have also booked Sanga Ryokan and would be interested to hear from anyone who has stayed there.
Thank you

do you think it would make sense for us to go straight to Aso from Fukuoka, becuase since we are arriving that same day we would not have any time to explore Kumamoto.

I can't find a direct bus between Fukuoka and Aso. I can only find the direct bus between Fukuoka and Kurokawa. So if you also want to see Mount Aso, it might be better to go via Kumamoto even if you don't have time for viewing Kumamoto.

In terms of the car rental, is it possible to do it with a US driver's lincense?

You need an international driving permit. It is explained in detail here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

And also, how easy is the area to navigate?

Somewhat challenging. I recommend to use the navigation system, particularly the option here you can select destinations by phone number.

Would we risk getting lost?

Yes, there is a small risk.

I know most cars come with a navigation system, but is it all in japanese?

Yes, they are in Japanese. But many of them are relatively easy to use even if you do not read Japanese, especially the ones with the above mentioned phone number option.

http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/tabi/yamanami/index.jsp
just wondering is this tour bus service is no longer in service after 30/11/2007.....

just wondering is this tour bus service is no longer in service after 30/11/2007

I suspect that it does not operate during the winter months, but that there is a possibility that the service will be resumed next spring.