The city of Ibusuki in Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu has so many hot springs that locals speak of “hot water gushing out anywhere you dig.” One of Ibusuki City’s most unusual and best-known “bathing” experiences is a trip to the local natural hot steam sand baths. Here, visitors bathe in sand, not water. These baths are said to be even more effective than typical hot springs and are highly prized for relieving fatigue and relaxing the body. Ibusuki Syusuien is a traditional Japanese ryokan inn located only about 250 meters from a sand bathing facility where guests can enjoy these natural hot steam sand baths.
Syusuien was originally built as a villa. Later, it was renovated and expanded into a ryokan inn with 46 guest rooms. Most of the guest rooms are floored in Japanese style with tatami mats, providing guests with an authentic traditional Japanese inn experience. Guests who wish to sleep on a futon may reserve a tatami-mat room without a bed.
All guest rooms have their own bath, but guests can also choose to relax in the inn’s larger hot spring baths: a communal bath and an open-air bath fed by the Ibusuki Hot Spring. Two private baths, each with an adjoining relaxation space, can also be reserved. The hot springs at Syusuien balance the melanin in the skin that protects it from UV rays. These waters are also said to refresh, smooth, and beautify the skin, while pleasantly warming bathers from the inside out. A foot bath and sand foot bath are also available to use in the garden space in front of the lobby.
Dining is a highlight of any trip to Japan. Syusuien has been awarded first place for 40 consecutive years in the cuisine category of 100 Japanese Hotels and Ryokans Selected by Professionals and it has also been recognized as a five-star accommodation in The Top 250 Most Popular Onsen Ryokan Hotels. For dinner at Syusuien, guests can enjoy sumptuous kaiseki cuisine featuring delicate Japanese dashi broth and locally caught fresh seafood, renowned Kagoshima-brand Kurobuta Berkshire Pork, and a local Kagoshima delicacy, “satsuma-age” fried fishcake. (Alternative dinner courses are available for a additional fee.) For breakfast, guests can start their day off right with a healthy meal of freshly cooked rice, seasonal side dishes, and “satsuma jiru” miso soup.
Direct buses from Kagoshima Airport reach Ibusuki Station in approximately 95 minutes. Or take an 80-minute train ride on the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata Station to Kagoshima Chuo Station, then transfer to the special express train on the JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line to reach Ibusuki Station in 55 minutes. Ibusuki City is some distance from the international airports in Tokyo and Osaka, but the journey to this hot spring inn hideaway is part of the adventure.
Address
5-27-27 Yunohama, Ibusuki City, KAGOSHIMA Pref.
Telephone Number
+81-993-23-4141
Official site
https://syusuien.co.jp/en/
Reservation
https://reserve.489ban.net/client/syusuien/4/plan
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ibusukisyusuien/
Closed: Tue. Subject to change
Room rate: From ¥40,700 per person per night