天然温泉大木の湯

JAF benefits (500 yen) and discounts for AEON and WAON cards (550 yen) are available. Proof of employment in Kurume seems to require some kind of certificate. Body soap and conditioner shampoo are provided inside the bathhouse, so all you need to bring is a towel. A shoe locker costs 100 yen (returned) and a 10 yen (non-returnable) change area. There's a 100 yen discount on days ending in the 5th. There's also a gym in the separate health and welfare building, which costs 600 yen for local residents and 1000 yen for non-residents, including the hot spring. You can use the health building for strength training and lessons for up to three hours. The hot spring is odorless, and the bathhouse itself consists of a bubble bath and a large sauna (which seems to fit a maximum of 7-8 people). The open-air bath is spacious (some people even read books there), and the cold water bath is located right outside, making for an unusual layout. After bathing, there's a rest room on the second floor where you can drink water and hot tea for free. I saw some people buying bento boxes on the first floor and eating them upstairs.

As I was taking off my shoes before entering, the staff member told me, "As a COVID-19 countermeasure, visitors from other areas will need proof of two vaccinations." However, I had looked into this beforehand and presented the proof I had prepared, so I entered without any problems. And because I'm a JAF member, I was able to enter for ¥500, a ¥100 discount. There were "silent bathing" posters here as well, but I only saw two locations. It didn't seem to be very effective, and since it was early evening and there were a lot of people, I could hear locals chatting here and there. The water is a sodium chloride bicarbonate hot spring, and it's light and seems to be good for the skin. It's also good for my stiff shoulders and muscle pain. The open-air bath has a waterfall bath, and I found it very relaxing when I showered my shoulders, neck, and lower back. There was also a jacuzzi, so I felt like I was getting a full-body massage. By chance, soft-serve ice cream was half price on days before holidays, so I had one. It was a welcome treat after my bath.

It was a strangely shaped hot spring facility. It was bustling with locals and a huge success. There was also a pool where they held swimming and other fitness-related events. The water was free-flowing and not circulated, and the spring quality was excellent. It felt a little old, but considering it's a local bath, that's understandable. However, the lockers cost 10 yen (and they never returned). The shoe lockers were returned, though... Since they charge you every time, I think they could lower the price a bit. Also, the price ranges are different for local and non-local residents. They don't check anything, but I'm not sure if that's even necessary in this day and age. There's a roadside station nearby, so I'm sure some people use it, and I felt like they kept the unnecessary system in place to make effective use of it as a tourist resource. However, at 600 yen for non-local residents, it's not insanely expensive. If there wasn't a price difference between the lockers and the lockers, I might have given it another star.

The entrance fee is 600 yen (500 yen with the JAF discount, though COVID-19 proof wasn't required as mentioned in reviews). You can re-enter the bath while inside the building, and you can also use the heated pool, making it very reasonable! Think of the pool as a water walking area and a play area for children. There are plenty of hot springs, including three indoor baths, a sauna, a cold bath, and an open-air bath. Lockers are non-returnable and cost 10 yen. The water is hot, clear, and almost odorless. I stayed there for about three hours, but there was no chlorine smell at all. The cafeteria on the second floor has a limited menu, but the daily lunch special for 600 yen was more than worth it! The parking lot is large and easy to park in. I hope the rabbit at the entrance doesn't get COVID... Namu Namu.

It costs 300 yen to enter using the Kyushu Tourist Portal's GPS sightseeing. The chloride spring is slippery and feels great. There is an abundant amount of hot water, which flows out constantly and is very pleasant to watch. Lunch at Hanaen, the restaurant on the second floor, is a great deal at 550 yen. There are not many people taking a break on the second floor, so you can relax. You can take a break in the large hall until 8pm. I've never taken a Japanese-style bath, so I'd like to go again.