Bettei Soan

We came to Kumamoto to see all the One Piece statues and chose this place because the location worked perfectly. It was our first ryokan stay, and the service has made us want to do it again. Dinner was a generous serving of local cuisine, and breakfast was a hit too.

We stayed at Hakuun. The room had a sleek blend of modern and traditional design, and the Kaiseki dinner was great. The public baths at the sister hotel had also been recently refurbished. The main issue was the view, which didn’t match what was advertised online. A tree has grown and now blocks the mountain, and the balcony fence has been changed so you can see through it less. The ryokan apologized with a complimentary glass of sake, which was a lovely gesture.

It’s a bit off the beaten path, so skip lunch on the way if you can. There’s plenty to enjoy at the Japanese dinner. You might want to pass on the horse sashimi if you haven’t tried it before. The onsen was nice, and Mr Isao and his team gave great service.

Miss TikSha looked after us from our first day right through checkout, guiding us through everything. The service was amazing, and we really appreciated her help. Our room was clean, the food served there was delicious, and everything was arranged really quickly. Recommended by a guest from Brunei.