Ryokan in Kirishima

Three inns are reviewed here. Wasurenosato Gajoen and Myoken Ishiharaso are sister properties facing each other across the Amori River at Myoken Onsen, about 15 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport; both use bicarbonate spring water, and at both the baths involve stairs or outdoor paths that can be hard on older guests. KAI Kirishima sits higher up, on the slopes of Mt Takachiho-no-mine about 45 minutes by car from the airport, with a sulphur spring and a glass slope car down to its only bathhouse.

Gajoen and Ishiharaso sit in the premium tier. Gajoen is a hamlet of relocated thatched farmhouses where every room has its own rock-carved onsen tub and dinner comes from the inn's own farm; critics question the value, citing dated rooms and basic amenities. Ishiharaso is the water specialist, with seven sources each feeding its own bath with no added water, reheating or chlorine, but only 10 of its 18 rooms have onsen in the room, and its free shuttle taxi ended in March 2026. KAI Kirishima (classic), a Hoshino Resorts inn, has 49 rooms that all look across the Kirishima highlands towards Sakurajima, but the volcano often hides in haze, most rooms have only a shower, and recent reviews mention dirty windows and small dinners.