Editing Travel plans/Winter 2014 (section)

== 2/12 Tsuyazaki → Kurokawa onsen ==

* Day: Visit shochu distellery in Tsuyazaki
* Travel: #5 Bus to Futuma; Train Futuma → Hakata; Train Hakata → Aso; Bus Aso → Kurokawa-onsen
* Evening: Onsen and stay in Kurokawa

In the morning, we'll get a tour of a shochu distillery somehow associated with Mika's friend Takara in Tsuyazaki. We'll have breakfeast and check out the town and then we'll be off to to Kurokawa-onsen.

In order to make the last bus, we'll need to leave a little early. Bus from Aso to Kurokawa onsen leaves Aso: 10:28, 11:28, 12:28, 14:40, 17:12. We must leave Tsuyazaki by 12:50 to arrive in Aso at 16:35 to make the last bus.

* Stay in this [http://rurubu.travel/A11/43/4303/430307/4342304/8332006/list.html?ref=regular Ryokan]. Reserved. 7020 yen/person/night.

* Review: There were no airbnb or other cheaper options in Kurokawa-onsen. Even though this inn was reasonably priced for Kurokawa (most places are very expensive), it was a proper ryokan. It's a very small town in the mountains and you can walk around the whole town in less than 30 minutes. Most restaurants had closed by the time we got in but there was one shop and one izakaya that were open until 22 or 23:00. Izakaya had good food and was fairly reasonably priced (about 2500/person?). We got some local shochu at the shop.

* Review: We wanted to try the Tofu restaurant next day but it wasn't open until 11AM. It looked great. We visited a temporary ceramics gallery (she comes there once a month) and found great ceramics. We got very tasty, freshly baked apple pies at a bakery and hot dango at a dango shop near the tofu restaurant. Many shops seem to offer free tea and coffee. We didn't have time to visit other onsen but we enjoyed the outdoor foot bath at the inn while watching the snow fall. 

* Review: We got to the station too late for the buses that go to Kurokawa-onsen but the lady at the information desk called the inn and asked if they can pick us up at a nearby local bus stop (Yu-land? 15 minutes away by car). That bus was running until 18:00 or so. We learned that during this season, we don't really need to make reservations -- most of the time there are enough seats left to accommodate four of us.