Tsuetate Onsen Ryokan Fukumi

Ryokan Fukumi (Ki no Nukumori no Yado Ryokan Fukumi) is a small wooden inn nestled in the historic Tsuetate Onsen of Oguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture. Tsuetate Onsen boasts 1,800 years of history and is steeped in legend: Empress Jingu is said to have used its waters to bathe the infant Emperor Ojin, and the great Buddhist master Kobo Daishi (Kukai) reportedly thrust his walking staff into the ground here while taking the waters, giving the spa its name (tsuetate meaning to plant a staff). Set along the Tsuetate River gorge, Fukumi offers 14 guest rooms across three floors, including five Higo Suite Rooms with private open-air baths in a tasteful blend of Japanese and Western design. The hot spring is a high-temperature natural artesian source emerging at around 98 degrees Celsius. The mildly alkaline sodium chloride water is rich in metasilicic acid, giving it a silky texture that smooths the skin and earning it a reputation as a beautifying bath beloved across Kyushu. Every bath at Fukumi is filled with pure source water with no added cold water and no reheating, allowing guests to experience the spring at its full strength. Wandering the narrow stepped lanes called sedoya, where steam rises from the rooftops and traditional steam baths are still in active use, visitors can savor a deeply atmospheric Showa-era hot spring town and one of Kyushu''s finest healing-bath cultures.