Flugel Kuju

There’s a great record player in the entrance hall, with an unusual collection of 70s jazz funk and rock on 33 rpm records that guests can listen to. The traditional rooms feel luxurious, and each has its own natural hot spring tub attached, plus an outer tub. I did find it overpriced, though. The rooms are huge, but much of that space felt wasted since the main draw is the hot spring, where you mostly soak, sleep and relax.

Dinner was delicious, and every staff member was kind to us. My son was especially interested in the food and your onsen. We stayed for one day and hope to come back someday. Thank you for being so nice to us.

Long live.

There are ten cottages, each with its own hot spring bath, and Nagayu Onsen is close enough that this could be a handy base for visiting other springs. The place is a hidden gem and easy to reach. One catch is having to go to the main building for meals. A stay-only option without meals would be more convenient. The room had plenty of outlets, and I appreciated that solo diners are welcome. For the price, the service is excellent. The dinner and breakfast were both French, which suited me as someone who enjoys hot spring trips. Many ryokans serve kaiseki and local food, so this was a nice change. The fridge had baked goods, beer, kabosu juice and mineral water, with coffee too. They also welcomed us with a soft drink and sparkling wine. They seem focused on wine, though I didn’t see any brandy. Dassai from Yamaguchi was among the sake choices, despite also being sold in the Hakata station building. I’d passed on buying it there because I thought sake wouldn’t suit Kyushu. There are two baths, one inside and one semi-open-air. The outside shower had been removed, so it looks like showering is only possible indoors. The water is yellow and cloudy, bicarbonate-based with a little chloride, slightly salty, and has no smell. It isn’t sulfurous or especially slippery.