Josei Tenku no Mori, Spa Ku
常聖 天空の杜 Spa Kū「空」
Does Josei Tenku no Mori, Spa Ku allow tattoos? In a private bath
Spa Ku calls its five family bath rooms secret hideouts: you step in and the whole Kuju range is in front of you, with an open-air tub stepped down the slope.
Tenku no Mori publishes no tattoo rule. Its Spa Ku has only private family bath rooms, five in all, each with an indoor tub and a tiered open-air tub, so every booking is a bath of your own.
The bath
Spa Ku has no shared bath at all, only five family bath rooms, and it calls them secret hideouts. The site sits on the highest ground at Nagayu, and the operator says the view of the Kuju mountains opens up the moment you step into the room, not just from the tub. Every room has an indoor tub and a tiered open-air tub. Suzu and Semi cost ¥2,500. Hoshi, Kasumi and Midori cost ¥3,000 and add a steam sauna and a cold tub.
A booking is one hour, which includes about ten minutes to walk to the room and back from the desk in the log house called Guild. Each extra 20 minutes costs ¥1,000, ¥500 less on weekdays. Rooms go first come at the desk; phone and email bookings are not taken, but you can book ahead online through Jalan Asobi. A dryer, shampoo, conditioner and body soap are in every room; towels are ¥300 and bath towels ¥600. The operator does not name its spring on its own pages. The photo of Hoshi shows a changing room of pale cedar opening through glass onto a tub that looks out over the hills.
The hotel
A hilltop site run by the group behind the Kingfisher Resort, with three parts: the Cafe Kaze to Tsuchi, the Spa Ku family baths and an auto campground. The spa has its own parking. The spa opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry 4 p.m., and says those hours move with the season and the state of the source. The cafe serves drip coffee, pasta and curry from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closes on irregular days.
Good to know
- No shared bath, only five private rooms.
- Book online ahead through Jalan Asobi, or take a room at the desk on the day.
- Pick Hoshi, Kasumi or Midori for a steam sauna and a cold tub.
- Follow the operator's route past the Kurozu valley spring; the Maruyama Park road is narrow and winding.
Getting there
The operator gives a driving route only: from the Nagayu tourist information office, take the road past the Kurozu valley spring, and avoid the narrow, winding road by the Maruyama Park lookout. From Oita take the JR Hohi line to Bungo-Taketa, about 1 hour 15 minutes, then a taxi; no bus is named.
Bungo-Taketa STN · JR Hohi Line
Not walkable.
Taxi from Bungo-Taketa; the operator publishes no minutes and names no bus.
Where it is
- Kyushu Shinkansen 40 min
- Kyushu Odan limited express 2 hr 21 min
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- JR Kyushu Rail Pass from ¥12,000 · 3, 5 or 7 consecutive days Worth it if Kuju is part of a longer Kyushu trip by train.
- Japan Rail Pass from ¥53,000 · 7, 14 or 21 days For a trip that takes in several regions by Shinkansen and JR lines.
What happens when you arrive
There's no shared bath here, so every bath you use is private. Reserve one online.
How we know
Bath layout confirmed, tattoo policy not published Checked on the official site (: the spa page lists five family bath rooms and no shared bath)
Read on: tenku-no-mori.com/spa/
Best for: a timber bath room with a mountain view, booked ahead online or taken at the door
Rooms Suzu and Semi ¥2,500 (indoor tub and tiered open-air tub); Hoshi, Kasumi and Midori ¥3,000 (adding a steam sauna and a cold tub). One hour per room, including about 10 minutes to walk to and from the desk; each extra 20 minutes ¥1,000, ¥500 off the extension on weekdays. Desk in the log house Guild; no phone or email bookings, first come on the day, or book ahead online through Jalan Asobi. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry 4 p.m.; hours change with the season and the source. Towel ¥300, bath towel ¥600; dryer, shampoo, conditioner and soap supplied.
The map shows every hotel close by. We haven’t checked their tattoo rules: sleep there, bathe here. Search Booking.com instead
Booking through this link costs you nothing extra and earns us a small commission, which keeps this guide free and up to date for our tattoo community. Thanks for your support.
For current hours and prices, see the official website.