Kurokawa Onsen is a hot spring resort, located on the northern side of Mt. Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture. Widely known for its open-air baths, it is one of the best places to enjoy the atmosphere of an old town in Japan, where more than 20 inns and gift shops stand in a row along the Tanoharu River, a headstream of the Chikugo River. With an “onsen tegata,” a pass made of cedar, travelers can make the rounds of three different open-air onsens.
(黒川温泉は、九州阿蘇山の北に位置する熊本県にある温泉郷である。露天風呂で広く知られる黒川温泉は、情緒溢れる町並みの一つで、筑後川の源流である田の原川沿いに20以上の旅館やお土産物屋が軒を連ねる。杉製の入浴券「温泉手形」で3軒の露天風呂巡りが楽しめる)