Yunotsuru Onsen Yuyado Tsurumisou

Tsurumisou is a small eight-room hot spring inn in Yunotsuru Onsen, a spa hamlet along the Yude River in the mountains of Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, close to the Kagoshima border. Local tradition holds that Yunotsuru Onsen was found some 700 years ago by Heike clan refugees who noticed a wounded crane bathing in the water, which gave the spring its name. The spa was designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring in March 1980, and in October 2022 it was re-designated jointly with coastal Yunoko Onsen as the Yunoko-Yunotsuru National Health Resort. The inn stands at the centre of a small onsen village that still preserves the atmosphere of early Showa-era Japan.

The water is an alkaline simple spring, with a pH of 8.5 as stated by the inn. It is colourless, clear, odourless and tasteless, and leaves a notably soft, silky feel on the skin. All six private baths are supplied with 100% free-flowing natural hot spring water and can be used around the clock by overnight guests.

The bathhouses include Kawa-no-yu, a single-person open-air bath; Yama-no-yu, a reservable open-air bath; Iwa-no-yu with three tubs; and the indoor Ishi-no-yu and Tou-no-yu, six in total. Overnight guests may use all of the private baths free of charge. Day visitors bathe by renting a private bath, priced at 2,000 or 3,000 yen for up to one hour depending on the bath, from 10:00 to 20:00 with last reception at 19:00; the inn closes on irregular days. Parking for ten cars is free, Wi-Fi is available in every room, and meals feature creative Japanese cuisine made with seasonal produce from Minamata and Izumi.