[update] Furusato Kanko Hotel filed for bankruptcy and Kagoshima District Court accepted their filings on Oct 2, 2012. The hotel was closed down end of Sep.
The mysterious Ryujin-buro (Dragon God Bath) is usually crowded during day time.
Furusato Onsen is located south of Sakurajima, an active volcanic island in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Pref, in Kyushu Island. Furusato Kanko Hotel is known for its Ryujin-buro, a scenic open-air mixed bath faced on Kinko Bay.
The word Ryujin stands for "Dragon God", and there is a shrine just beside the bath. You have to wear white Yukata (Kimono) to soak the bath regardless your gender (For the Quick Movie and Photo Gallery, see
their official site). Because it's supposed to be rude to show your body to the god. Apart from onsen pools, it's one of the very rare "clothing necessary" onsens.
You'll see many small stone statue under roots of the Ficus wightiana. The tree is more than 200 years old.
Although the sodium hot spring is clorinated and circulated (hot spring water is being reused), I could recognize mild touch of the onse water. There are gender separated indoor baths, and private baths, too.
Please note "Ontake", the volcano in the Sakurajima Island is very active, minor explosion counts more than 700 times in a year recently, and sometimes they have to close the Ryujin-buro due to volcanic ash.
A view of the Sakurajima from Shiroyama Park, Central Kagoshima City. Furusato Onsen sits south (right side on the picture) of the island.
◆Furusato Kanko Hotel, Furusato Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.（古里温泉 ふるさと観光ホテル）
Type: Gender mixed open-air bath, gender separated indoor baths, private baths
Address: 1076-1 Furusato-cho, Kagoshima City, Kagosima Pref.
Location: 31.551774,130.656482
Access: Free hourly shuttle services (only in the afternoon on weekdays) from the Sakurajima Port Bus Terminal, taking 15 minutes one way.
Business hour of day visit: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Holiday: As for Ryujin-buro, usually unavailable up to 3:00 PM on every Monday and Thrsday, every Wednesday for indoor bath.
Admission fee: ¥1050 for Ryujin-buro and indoor bath including rental yukata, ¥530 for indoor bath only, ¥3150 for private bath (one hour)
Link:
Official web-site (Japanese Only)
My rating (A-E): C
Hot spring for drinking located at lobby of the hotel.
This post is unrelated to onsen. Finding free Wi-Fi spots is sometimes big hustle when I go abroad, especially in countries not often visit. I'll visit Mexico next month after more than 10 years blank and know nothing about Wi-FI services there now. 