Minami Aso Kugino Onsen Yado Shiki no Mori

Shiki no Mori puts the Aso mountains in every guestroom’s view. Its eleven-room scale and straightforward lodging atmosphere make it feel closer to a relaxed countryside base than a polished resort.

The baths use a sodium bicarbonate spring on a freely flowing basis. A communal bath, private bathing option and sauna provide variety, with the mineral water and broad mountain setting carrying the strongest sense of place.

This is a property to choose for an unhurried visit to Minamiaso. The accommodation is simple, and guests who enjoy a practical lodge setting are likely to appreciate it most. The principal pleasures are easy to identify: waking to the Aso skyline, spending the day in the surrounding countryside and returning to another soak.