Enjoy Minamata Sightseeing Alongside Yunoko and Yunotsuru Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture! Discover Tourist Spots, Gourmet Cuisine, Access, and More
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Minamata City, located at the southern tip of Kumamoto Prefecture and on the border of Kagoshima Prefecture, is home to Yunoko and Yunotsuru Onsen, which are registered as national hot spring resorts, as well as recommended gourmet food and popular sightseeing spots! Here are some recommended sights...
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National hot spring resorts are designated by the Minister of the Environment under the Hot Springs Act as healthy hot spring resorts where the benefits of hot spring use are expected to be sufficient. 79 hot spring resorts have been designated nationwide (as of October 2024). National hot spring resorts are selected based on the following criteria. 1. Conditions regarding the quality and volume of hot spring water (1) The source of the hot spring water used must be a therapeutic spring. (2) The hot spring water used must have an abundant volume of water. The standard volume of water flow must be 0.5 liters per minute or more per hot spring user. 2. Conditions regarding the environment of the hot spring resort (1) The hot spring is suitable as a resort from the perspective of the natural environment, townscape, history, climate, culture, etc. (2) A plan for the placement of doctors who can provide guidance on proper hot spring use and health management from a medical perspective, or a plan for the placement or training policy of personnel who can provide guidance on bathing methods, etc. in cooperation with the doctors, must be established. (3) Appropriate efforts will be made to protect hot spring resources, manage the hygiene of hot springs, promote public use of hot springs, and take into consideration the elderly and disabled, etc. (4) Enhanced efforts to prevent disasters.
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Table of Contents
- About Yunoko/Yunotsuru Onsen
- Minamata Sweets
- Minamata Gourmet
- Minamata City Tourist Spots
- Enjoy marine activities in summer!
- access
About Yunoko/Yunotsuru Onsen
Minamata City has the hot springs ``Yunoko'' and ``Yunotsuru,'' which are registered as national hot spring resorts.
[Yunoko Onsen]
Yunoko Onsen is located about 25 minutes by bus from Minamata Station. It is also called the ``hot spring of the sea'' because of the number of hot spring inns along the coast.
The spectacular panoramic view of the Shiranui Sea spreads out in front of your eyes is an attractive feature, and tourists flock here to enjoy the ocean view from the open-air baths and guest rooms. The view from the open-air bath at Shoyokan is especially spectacular.
[Yunotsuru Onsen]
Yunotsuru Onsen is located about 35 minutes into the mountains by bus from Minamata Station. Because it is located in the mountains, it is called a ``mountain hot spring,'' unlike Yunoko Onsen's ``sea hot spring.''
Hot spring inns are quietly lined up deep in the mountains, creating a quiet space that makes you feel as if time has stopped. There are also inns where you can enjoy hot springs 24 hours a day, and it is a hot spring village where you can forget about everyday life and enjoy the hot springs.
The charms of Yunoko and Yunotsuru Onsen are introduced in detail in this article.
Minamata Sweets
Minamata City is attracting attention as a city of sweets. There are many shops within walking distance of Minamata Station. Minamata sweets has both Japanese and Western sweets. I enjoyed eating while walking around!
[Hairaku Manju]
Horaku manju is filled with slowly cooked red bean paste. The bean paste uses plenty of domestic honey, giving it a rich sweetness! Apparently they started using honey because their previous generation ran a beekeeping business. It seems that there are two types: ``black bean paste'' and ``white bean paste'', but recently it seems that white bean paste is popular! It was a Japanese sweet that was loved by a wide range of generations.
[SWEET SHOP Mimura]
A sweets shop with about 10 types of cream puffs and various cakes lined up in the show window. In addition to the standard custard and strawberry, there were also unusual items such as ogura, black sesame, and coffee. Among them, we chose the rare ``Rose Puff'' related to Minamata's rose garden and the locally popular ``Lemon Cake.'' There is plenty of raspberry cream inside the choux. When you put it in your mouth, the scent of roses spreads out.
Lemon cake has a refreshing and refreshing aftertaste! Please try the flavors that can only be found here.
[Mont Blanc Fujiya (Minama Tears)]
``Minama Cheese'' is a half-boiled type of cheesecake that is popular for its melt-in-your-mouth softness. Made with jersey milk from Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, it has a light texture that melts in your mouth, so you can eat as many as you want. Minamata donuts and dacquoise are also popular items, so buy them as well! There are also many other products such as seasonal sweets and breads made with local ingredients.
*Minamata Cheese is sold frozen, so we recommend thawing it in the refrigerator before eating. It can also be purchased at the online shop.
Minamata Gourmet
Champon (Tsuruoka Shokudo)
A store that serves Minamata Champon, a local gourmet dish in Minamata. Minamata Champon is characterized by its light and clear soup made from seafood stock. Contains more than 10 kinds of ingredients, including plenty of vegetables and wood ear mushrooms, so it's delicious and you'll never get tired of it!
There are also creative menus related to champon, such as ``Chanmen'', a Japanese-style ramen that uses champon noodles, and ``Champondon'', which has champon toppings on rice.
The restaurant is so busy that it's full of local customers at lunchtime. There are also ``slightly smaller sizes'' for children and women, and you can feel the great care of the proprietress. The inside of the store was decorated with autographs of many famous people and colored paper, giving the impression that it was a popular store.
Tsurunoya [Yunotsuru Onsen Area]
Located in the Yunotsuru hot spring town, this is a lodging facility that rents out a building to only one group per day. It is famous for its modern Japanese architecture designed by Eiji Mitooka, who is known for designing the luxury sleeper train Seven Stars (JR Kyushu).
You can enjoy lunch or dinner here even if you don't stay overnight. Reservations are required for dinner, and prices start from 4,400 yen, but you can upgrade according to your budget. This time I had dinner, and the main dish, roast beef, was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
There is also a souvenir shop on the 1st floor, with a wide selection of Minamata area specialties and Japanese tea. "Tsuru-no-ya" is located in the central area of Yunotsuru Onsen town, about 25 minutes by bus from Minamata Station. It's located right after getting off at Yunotsuru Station, so it's recommended as a stop for a meal while strolling around the hot spring town.
Minamata City Tourist Spots
After enjoying the gourmet food, you might want to enjoy some sightseeing! We will introduce you to spots unique to Minamata City.
“Kumamon Japanese candle” making experience @ Samurai Kaido Hazenokikan
Minamata City is Japan's largest producer of haze nuts, which are the raw material for Japanese wax!
Traditional Japanese candles, which have been around since the Edo period, are made by pouring wax extracted from oak seeds into molds. In addition to experiencing the traditional method, you can also take home a cute Kumamon-shaped candle as a souvenir.
Access from Minamata Station is about 10 minutes by taxi. It's a bit of a walk, about 25 minutes, so we recommend taking a taxi. Reservations are accepted until 5pm four days in advance, so be sure to make your reservations in advance.
Roadside Station Minamata
When you visit Minamata, we recommend buying souvenirs at this roadside station! The main facility, "Shop & Cafe Minamata," has select shops from Kumamoto, mainly from the Minamata area. Minamata's brand ``Minamata Japanese black tea'' is also sold in large numbers.
There is also a tea salon where you can sit and relax and enjoy sweets, and here you can also enjoy cakes, Japanese tea, and rose soft drinks.
This roadside station is located in Eco Park Minamata, about a 5-minute walk from Minamata Station by taking the Kyushu Sanko Bus and getting off at Eco Park Nasary-mae Station.
Eco Park Minamata Rose Garden
Eco Park Minamata Rose Garden, located next to the roadside station, is one of the best rose viewing spots in Kyushu.
800 species and 5,000 roses bloom in a variety of colors on the 13,000 square meter site.
There are many attractions within the park, including a 300m-long rose wall, a pond filled with roses, and an observation deck that offers a panoramic view of the park.
The Minamata Rose Festival is held every spring and autumn in conjunction with the blooming of roses, and last fall there were approximately 20,000 visitors. Admission is free, so be sure to stop by when you're in Minamata.
Enjoy marine activities in summer!
Minamata is rich in nature, and there are many places where you can enjoy swimming and marine activities!
After enjoying the sea, you can enjoy hot springs, which is unique to Minamata.
If you want to enjoy activities at the sea, please come and visit us.
Yunoko Beach
A white sand beach located just a short walk from Yunoko Onsen. The water is shallow and the waves are calm, making it a popular beach for families with children.
The seawater is so clear that you can see the bottom of the sea with the naked eye. There are changing rooms, toilets, and free hot showers, so you can swim with peace of mind.
Right in front of you is Yunokojima, where you can experience island hopping, and you can cross it on the white bridge that spans the beach. You can stroll along the beautiful seaside while looking for cute turtle monuments.
Marine activities (Minamata activities)
Minamata is home to many marine activities, and in addition to diving and snorkeling, you can also try the rare outrigger canoe, SUP, and sea kayaking.
For reservations for experiences, telephone lines are set up for each activity. For reservations, please contact us below.
At the end of May, the ``Beach Police Box'' that will manage all of Minamata's marine activities will be completed near Yunoko Beach. There will also be a restaurant on the 2nd floor, making it easier to make reservations. If you are interested in marine activities, please check it out.
access
To access Yunoko and Yunotsuru Onsen, take a bus or taxi from JR Shin-Minamata Station or JR Minamata Station. If you use Minamata City's community bus, ``Minakuru Bus,'' you can easily access both areas from Minamata Station.
[Yunoko Onsen Area] "Minamata Station" - "Yunoko Park" approximately 25 minutes
[Yunotsuru Onsen Area] "Minamata Station" - "Yunotsuru" Approximately 35 minutes
After getting off the bus, you can easily explore the hot spring area on foot!
When traveling from Tokyo by plane, Shinkansen, or bus
[Overall time required: about 4 hours]
If you are coming from Tokyo, we recommend going via Fukuoka.
From the airport, take a flight to Fukuoka, and from Fukuoka Airport, take the subway Airport Line to Hakata Station, which is 2 stops away. From there, take the Kyushu Shinkansen to Shin-Minamata Station. From Shin-Minamata Station, take the Hisatsu Orange Railway to Minamata Station (1 stop).
[For Yunotsuru Onsen ] From Minamata Station, take the Minamata City Community Bus "Mikuru (Orange) Bus" bound for Shokawauchi and get off at the "Yunotsuru" or "Yunotsuru Onsen Center-mae" bus stop (about 35 minutes ride)
[For Yunoko Onsen] From Minamata Station, take the Minamata City Community Bus "Minakuru (Blue) Bus" bound for Yunoko and get off at the "Yunoko Koen-mae" bus stop (about 25 minutes ride)
Buses run once every 1 or 2 hours on weekday mornings, and once every 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. Last time is 6pm. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, there are four trains per day, so please check the schedule and adjust your schedule accordingly.
When traveling from Osaka by Shinkansen and bus
[Overall time required: about 4 hours]
From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Hakata Station. From Hakata Station, take the Kyushu Shinkansen to Shin-Minamata Station.
From Shin-Minamata Station, take the Hisatsu Orange Railway to Minamata Station (1 station)
[For Yunotsuru Onsen] From Minamata Station, take the Minamata City Community Bus "Mikuru (Orange) Bus" bound for Shokawauchi and get off at the "Yunotsuru" or "Yunotsuru Onsen Center-mae" bus stop (about 35 minutes ride)
[For Yunoko Onsen] From Minamata Station, take the Minamata City Community Bus "Minakuru (Blue) Bus" bound for Yunoko and get off at the "Yunoko Koen-mae" bus stop (about 25 minutes ride)
Buses run once every 1 or 2 hours on weekday mornings, and once every 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. Last time is 6pm. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, there are four trains per day, so please check the schedule and adjust your schedule accordingly.
National hot spring resorts are designated by the Minister of the Environment under the Hot Springs Act as healthy hot spring resorts where the benefits of hot spring use are expected to be sufficient. 79 hot spring resorts have been designated nationwide (as of October 2024). National hot spring resorts are selected based on the following criteria. 1. Conditions regarding the quality and volume of hot spring water (1) The source of the hot spring water used must be a therapeutic spring. (2) The hot spring water used must have an abundant volume of water. The standard volume of water flow must be 0.5 liters per minute or more per hot spring user. 2. Conditions regarding the environment of the hot spring resort (1) The hot spring is suitable as a resort from the perspective of the natural environment, townscape, history, climate, culture, etc. (2) A plan for the placement of doctors who can provide guidance on proper hot spring use and health management from a medical perspective, or a plan for the placement or training policy of personnel who can provide guidance on bathing methods, etc. in cooperation with the doctors, must be established. (3) Appropriate efforts will be made to protect hot spring resources, manage the hygiene of hot springs, promote public use of hot springs, and take into consideration the elderly and disabled, etc. (4) Enhanced efforts to prevent disasters.
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