Harazuru Onsen is one of Kyushu’s onsen hot spots. The water is transparent and colorless with a faint smell of sulphur. A soak in these waters will leave your skin feeling moist, which is how it also came to be known as “Bihada no Yu” (beautiful skin bath).
As for onsen ryokan in the area, I recommend a place called “Hodoai no Yado Roppokan.”
Here you can take in an amazing river view as you bathe in the onsen. And a few steps from the ryokan is a riverside promenade – the perfect setting for a light jog.
Onsen facilities are stock standard no matter where you stay in this area, but the special thing about this particular onsen is that some of the rooms come with their own private rotenburo or open-air bath. So you can relax in the bath and soak up the beautiful outdoor scenery all in the privacy of your own room.
And to top it all off, the sashimi and hot-pot kaiseki (banquet-style) meals they prepare are not only delicious, they look spectacular.
If you want to see the traditional cormorant fishing as well, you can see it from May 21st to the end of September.＊
＊Subject to weather conditions and water levels.