Ryokan Shougen Sansou

After sightseeing at Kumamoto Castle, we recommend Shogen Sanso in Tamana onsen(hot spring). Kurokawa onsen(hot spring) is also famous, but it's a little far from Kumamoto Castle. Tamana onsen(hot spring) is easily accessible, about 50 minutes by car, so driving is less of a hassle. They offer a day trip plan that includes lunch. For a budget of 20,000 yen per person, you can enjoy a slightly luxurious lunch, similar to kaiseki cuisine. onsen(hot spring) has thick, viscous water known as "Bijin-no-yu (a hot spring of beauty)," which is sure to please your girlfriend.

If you're looking for a high-end, day-use onsen experience in Kumamoto, I highly recommend Shogen Sanso. The 1,350-tsubo (approx. 4,500 sq. meter / 1.1 acre) Japanese garden is simply magnificent. It's incredibly spacious and immaculately maintained, which gives the entire place a true sense of luxury. With their day-trip plan, you can enjoy a delicious Japanese lunch while gazing out at this beautiful garden. Of course, the onsen also features a rotenburo (open-air bath) with a view of the garden. It's also conveniently located less than an hour's drive from Kumamoto Castle. For your 20,000 yen budget, you can spend a quiet, sophisticated, and luxurious time here. I think it's the perfect choice for a refined 'adult' getaway with your partner.

If you are visiting Tamana Onsen, why not try Shogen Sanso? This hotel is an impressive building with stylish modern architecture, surrounded by a beautiful 4,350m2 Japanese garden. For dinner, you can enjoy kaiseki（a traditional Japanese multiple course meal ）made with local ingredients such as fresh fish from the Ariake Sea and horse meat from Kumamoto, and for breakfast, you can enjoy delicious dishes such as "gojiru," a dish made from mashed soybeans unique to the Tamana region, and "Nankanage," a specialty of the Kumamoto Nankan region.

How about Shougen Sanso? If you choose the one-night stay, three-meal plan, you can also have lunch. It's located about an eight-minute drive from JR Tamana Station. It costs about 16,500 yen per person, so it's well within your budget. The baths 100% natural hot spring so you can relax while looking out at the garden from the open-air bath. The alkaline simple spring water is said to help relieve fatigue and improve skin condition. For dinner, you can enjoy a multi-course kaiseki（a traditional Japanese multiple course meal ）made with seasonal local ingredients in your room. Lunch is also served in your room in the form of a Shokado bento box.

If you are visiting Tamana Onsen, why not try Shogen Sanso? As its name suggests, it is a modern Japanese Ryokan (Japanese inn) with a vast Japanese garden measuring 4,350m2. Its beauty offers a soothing space, similar to the Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane. The hot springs include a large natural stone bath, an open-air garden bath, and a waterfall bath. Breakfast is a set meal made with locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and you can taste local dishes such as gojiru and nankan age.

This inn is very particular about the breakfast they prepare, so I highly recommend it! The breakfast includes local ingredients, and the miso soup is delicious, made with "gojiru," a dish made from crushed soybeans unique to the Tamana region, and "Nankanage," a specialty of the Kumamoto Nankan region. You can start your day off luxurious with a carefully prepared Japanese set meal.

If you like Japanese gardens, I highly recommend this inn. As the hotel name suggests, it boasts a beautiful, picturesque Japanese garden measuring 4,350m2. Meanwhile, the building itself is chalky and modern, resembling a museum. I was stunned by this contrast. You won't find a lodging like this anywhere else in the country. The breakfast was made with an abundance of locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and was both healthy and delicious.