Gekkoju Kurokawa

Izayoi (十六夜, 95㎡) and Kagetsu (佳月, 99㎡), the villas with joined indoor and outdoor baths

In both, big sliding doors open the indoor bath straight onto the open-air bath. A 2022 blogger and a June 2025 blogger who stayed in Izayoi both found the bath far bigger than any room bath they expected. Izayoi, built around huge beams moved from an old wooden house, is the most popular villa, according to one blogger; the inn removed the foot bath under its irori table in September 2026 after a leak. Kagetsu is the highest villa, with a moon-viewing deck and the Tenkū bath next door, and cost nearly ¥200,000 for a December 2024 stay. Its irori room is open to the living room, though, so staff serving meals can see in, and the stairs up to the balcony are steep.

Yumemi (夢見, 98㎡) and Kazemachi (風待, 99㎡), for the view from the living room

A solo traveller who stayed in Yumemi in December 2025 (about ¥150,000) called it an underrated gem. It has a glass-fronted living room facing a circular open-air bath big enough for ten, sunsets over the mountains, a separate indoor bath that stays warm in winter, and a two-mat tea room. The catches: a deep rock-lined gap has to be crossed to reach the bedroom, and the only phone is in the bedroom. Kazemachi, the mid-slope 'sea of clouds' villa, frames the Aso mountains from the entrance and drew top marks in February and August 2026, though a July 2026 repeat guest there was disappointed.

Tsukisae (月冴, 165㎡) and Gyokurin (玉輪, 177㎡), the sauna villas opened in June 2026

The newest and largest villas, each with an open-air bath, an indoor bath and a sauna; Tsukisae also has a cold plunge. A guest upgraded to Gyokurin in June 2026 described a garden barrel sauna, cold bath and lounger facing the valley, a dining room with its own small kitchen so dishes arrive hot, free sparkling wine and local beer served in Riedel glasses, and light Imabari bathrobes. The inn sold them first on its official site.

Tenshin (天心, 88㎡) and Ariake (有明, 82㎡), the entry-level villas

The cheapest options (from about ¥183,000 and ¥197,000 for two with two meals in October 2026) and among the smallest. Tenshin, nearest the main building, is the only barrier-free villa, and a March 2026 family with a wheelchair user praised staff for setting out ramps. But an October 2025 party of three who paid over ¥200,000 there reported a smoky dinner, equipment that didn't match the room guide and an unhelpful reply to their complaints. In Ariake in July 2026, a guest was asked to leave the bath doors open at night, and insects poured in.