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 In southern Japan
and far to the south of Kyushu, a popular onsen
royan is seen beside a river, in a forest which
overlooks the mountain whereby Tajima, the owner
of this Japanese spa inn, has recreated a
thatched-roof hamlet. Gajoen which sourced its
sulfur and iron rich waters from the Myoken
Onsen in Makizono, north of Kagoshima, is one of
the most famous ryokan onsen in Makizono. The owner
who quit his boring nine to five job bought a
small inn and took to the land. Tajima then
dedicated his time to his new interest,
collected, transplanted and reassembled thatched
roof houses, and began
Photo: Gajoen at Myoken Onsen
planting bamboo and
plants. At Gajoen ryokan onsen, chicken can be
seen running across the gardens and stone walkways.
Guests loved coming here for a quiet weekend since
there are only ten thatched or terra cotta
roofed cottage rooms and they know that will be
guaranteed of a very private farm-style living
space. Besides enjoying a hot spring bath,
guests will appreciate the lovely pause in their
hectic lives and take pleasure in this moment of
tranquility. The ceilings are made from wood and
the walls of plaster together with the main room
which is floored in fragrant rush tatami.
Gajoen has private
rotenburo in eight of its rooms. From the four
communal rotenburo, bathers can even listen to
the soothing sound of the waters flowing in the
river. The men's and women's indoor communal
baths are made of rugged rock and concrete. For
the added pleasure of the guests here, there are
two family baths for couple-sharing or children
which can be seen on the way to the river.
Guests health are of absolute importance here at
Gajoen. An organic farm-fresh dinner is served
with this objective in mind. Menu which are
specially prepared here include sukiyaki of
shaved beef, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms,
green onions and spring chrysanthemums or
broiled ayu, the sweet white river fish or a
light delicious crisp vegetarian tempura.
A fruits-of-the-farm breakfast is even served in
the spacious thatched lodge. The latest
attraction seen here at this area is the Tenkuh
no Mori, a nearby hilltop forest haven of five
villas, each is furnished with its own open-air
hot spring bath. This exclusive retreat is also
Tajima's idea and it is located only about ten
minutes drive away from Gajoen. The view from
its bathtubs overlooking the Kirishima Mountains
is simply stunning. Due to the popularity of
Gajoen, guests are advised to make reservations
one year in advance to avoid any disappointment.
The best time to visit would be in late autumn
when the combination of the trees, the skies,
cool air and warm water makes Gajoen one of the
the most refreshingly authentic retreats in
Japan.
Located at : 4230 Kubota,
Makizono-cho, Aira-gun
Kagoshima-ken 899-6507,
Japan.
Telephone : 81 (0)995 77 2114
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