The observatory star viewing at night and the meals. The owner/caretaker are extremely friendly and welcoming. The location is a quick drive amidst many other lodging options. What stood out were the hospitality, the meals and the unique observatory viewing. It is a real gem amidst other standard hotels around the area. There was even a hot plate meal and his macaroni and cheese creation which was extremely delightful.

The carpark to the room was a short walk away. Recommend that you check in first (without luggage) then make your way to collect them. The place has 2 sides. I stayed at the side with the single level which was a short walk away and nearer to the onsen.

Everything is amazing. It looks like heaven. Reality is so much better than the pictures. Everything is so beautiful, quiet and green. I will list some details below that are not included on booking, to help people decide if they wanna visit this beautiful and peaceful place: 1. There is an amazing observatory in the middle of the yard and the owner is an amazing astronomy sensei. During the 3 nights that we spent there, every night there was a star observation and explanation session. Using his high-tech telescope, we were able to observe amazing nebulas (M21, M22 and M27), as well as stars about to become supernovas (+ many other stars). It was for us a unique experience. We did not speak much Japanese but he really tried to do his best to translate using Google. 2. There is a very nice private onsen (hot bath). You just need to reserve a time slot and unlike most places in Japan, you can enjoy the onsen with your partner in quiet and peace. 3. Beautiful hydrangea garden. 4. Very nice huge flower park just near the pension. We did also blueberry picking there. 5. The pension looks a lot like a chalet and there are tons of green spaces, hammocks and you get a lot of privacy. 6. Located in the heart of Aso-Kuju mountains, you can visit the crater of Aso in less than 1h and there are plenty of trails on Kuju and the nearby mountains. 7. Room is huge, so much space compared to any other place we ever stayed in Japan for the last 5 years.

We wished we would have longer. We were not big fans of the breakfast. It is a set course and you cannot select. It is quite early in the morning (7.30-8.15) but it is perfect if you want to start hiking early. The breakfast venue is simply splendid and you have a beautiful view.

The accommodation is run by a very kind and caring couple. They are very interested and care about their guests. During the evening we had an amazing 4 course dinner and in the morning an amazing breakfast. Also, we could make use of the private onsen during the evening and watched Jupiter and the moon in the observatory which was both very special. When there was snow during breakfast, the owner took care of us by checking the road conditions and help us deciding the route. Thank you very much for the truly wonderful and perfect stay. We enjoyed it very much.

The elderly couple who manages the property , very nice couple. Room very big, & clean. We took the 1/2 board meal package. Delicious food with fusion of western & Japanese. Private onsen, need booking but a delightful experience. Location wise, need a few minutes outdoor walk from the Reception. The owner gave us an opportunity to his guests to view the night sky / distance stars via his huge telescope in his special observatory.

Do take note that the property would have alerted you to check in before 6pm as they serve their set dinner ON TIME.

Wonderful host: warm hearted n kind. Willing to help us with reccomendations for sight seeing . Astronomy : brought us star gazing in his personal observatory. Saw planets n constellations. Was a magical experience Delicious food made with love The on site onsen was nice : can book for personal use with no additional charge Near to various attractions like Kurokawan Onsen , Mt Aso etc

Will need to drive for access because is very remote. But roads are good n safe.May need snow tyres if winter

This property is in the Aso-Kuju National Park, surrounded by forests, 20 minutes from the nearest town. Beautiful and serene surroundings. The rooms are in chalets about 50 metres from the main house. Rooms are large, comfortable, a little dated look, but clean and fully functional. In spring the mornings are cold, so the heating worked well. The dining room is in the main house, and the hosts are gracious and friendly. He provided several hand-drawn maps to show local places of interest like the Tadewara Wetlands and the Harajiri Falls, and also the route to Mount Aso to see the Nakadake 'live' volcano! The breakfast was excellent, and dinner was like fine dining. Excellent experience! There was also a private onsen which has to be reserved in advance - you get a 45 minute slot in a private room with a small hot spring pool.

I tried to reserve dinner for the 2 nights we stayed there, but for some unknown reason the host said he could not provide dinner for consecutive nights, so we had to drive 20+ minutes to the nearest town to find some food. Other than that no complaints at all.

This place was just amazing: it was exactly like the pictures, a cute and quiet place to stay in nature. The room was big and clean and it had two windows with view on the forest. We also had access to the private bath (in another building) that was beautiful and relaxing. Last but not least, the owners were so thoughtful and nice! They took time showing us the moon in the Observatory and during breakfast they gave us a lot of good recommendations for the rest of our trip. I am highly recommending!

It's in a very quiet location surrounded by trees. The four couse dinner was very tasty with great presentations. After dinner, the host was kind enough to show us the stars from his observatory. It was a lifetime experience to see Jupiter and Saturn from the telescope. Breakfast was very nice as well. The hosts prepared for us earlier than usual by our request. We are very much appreciated!

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This is a great piece of land in between Mt Aso and Kuju. The environment was so peaceful and serene. Our stay was filled with rain but it didn't stop us from using the onsen both nights. The room was clean and very spacious. And the owner and his wife were really kind and helpful.

The furniture was a bit older and there's not much around (10-20 min drive to closest restaurant/stores).

The owner/manager treated guests to a night sky session on the telescope in the observatory - 5 different objects in the sky. It was an amazing experience. This place had great rooms, on-site restaurant, outdoor onsen, wide open spaces. A real surprise in the middle of the countryside. It was great value and it’s on my list of places I want to come back to. I could chill out here and explore the surrounding area for several days.