Ryotei Ryokan Takechiyo Kirishima Bettei

Takechiyo Kirishima Bettei is a kaiseki ryokan on the approach to Kirishima Jingu shrine, at the foot of the Kirishima mountains. The shared bath house is split into separate baths for men and women, with an indoor bath, a cold plunge and a sauna, plus an open-air bath you can use into the night under a clear mountain sky. The water is mild, with just a faint whiff of sulfur. Several of the ground-floor guest rooms add their own individually designed open-air bath, in styles running from rough stone to iron, glass or bamboo, so bathing continues in private once the shared bath closes for the night. The inn carries on the name of a long-established Kagoshima city restaurant, and its kaiseki kitchen gets as much attention as its water: rooms are wood-toned and quiet, and dinner is a full multi-course kaiseki meal served in its own dining room.