Centennial Restaurant & Registered Cultural Property | Hitoyoshi Yoshino Ryokan

| Hitoyoshi Yoshino Ryokan. Hitoyoshi is a wonderful place (even though I haven't seen Natsume's Book of Friends). Situated by the Kuma River, it's a place of outstanding natural beauty and talented individuals. Unfortunately, it's also prone to flooding when the Kuma River rises. As mentioned in previous notes about Hitoyoshi Ryokan, the 2020 flood destroyed many hot spring hotels. Yoshino Ryokan was also reborn after more than two years of reconstruction. 📷Architecture & History Yoshino Ryokan was established in 1909 (Meiji 42) and has a history of over 100 years. It was originally founded as a restaurant, Yoshimoto Honten. Therefore, many elements, including the architecture and service, still retain traces of a traditional restaurant. There are 15 rooms in total, each with its own unique decor. We stayed in the Matsu-no-ma room, which was incredibly spacious for two people. It was a Japanese-Western style room with my favorite feature, an *engawa* (veranda) filled with a sense of the era. If you can book it, I highly recommend the Tsuru-no-ma room, which preserves the characteristics from 100 years ago. I also really like the large hallway at the entrance and the various tea rooms, which have a distinct Taisho-era atmosphere. Hot Springs The spring quality is sodium chloride bicarbonate spring. It's 100% natural hot spring water and slightly soft, leaving your skin feeling very hydrated after soaking. In addition to the large public bath, there are four private baths. Yamasemi is probably the richest among them. The other three private baths seem to have been renovated later and are very new, offering pleasant garden views. 🍙Cuisine As expected from a place that started as a restaurant, the food, while not particularly luxurious, is delicious, especially the *dashi* (broth), which is extremely flavorful. This meal alone is worth a repeat visit. 📍 180 Kamiaoi-machi, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture I've recommended Hitoyoshi's *unagi* (eel) rice before; it's very tasty. Besides the most famous Kamimura, Shiraishi next door is also good. There are also various *sento* (public baths) ♨️ to explore. There are quite a few hot springs that may look run-down but will surprise you with their amazing water quality.