Kirishima Onsen Tabinoyu

The meals were the one real bright spot: both dinner and breakfast were very good. The natural surroundings are nice, but you can't enjoy them from the onsen, and the outdoor bath was mostly lukewarm, too cool to relax in. We stayed in a dorm room, which was old and had no air conditioning. The walls were so thin we could hear people talking and coughing. The bathroom was very basic, with one urinal and two squat toilets, and my Japanese girlfriend was shocked and disappointed. At breakfast, people at the next table said they'd stayed in a cottage but couldn't sleep because mice ran around in the ceiling all night. We all felt the place was much worse than its image online, and we won't be back.

The onsen felt authentic and had a sulfur smell. This is a simple, run-down hotel high on a mountain. It must have been idyllic once, and still has some of that quality, but the lack of maintenance is starting to show. With few, if any, other options around, they can still charge 6000 Yen a night. Towels are available to rent, and there's a small shop inside. Food can be ordered in advance.

We stayed in the Petite House and found it very comfortable. The owners looked after us well, and we enjoyed the hot springs 👍🏻

A very traditional hot spring up in the mountains, with a raw, unpolished feel.