Stayed at Myoken Ishiharaso and Takefue in Dec 2022. Both were excellent. Thank you KI-NRT for this well-written guide -- we would not have found these properties otherwise. Some thoughts on each property:

• Chose these two properties together for the following reasons:
  • Both on the island of Kyushu, within ~3 hours driving of each other (rented a car and got an International Driving Permit, which they required at the rental counter)
  • Both used the 489ban reservation site, which was easy to navigate and book online
• Myoken Ishiharaso
  • Clement (who KI-NRT referenced) was wonderful. He was there for whatever and whenever we needed: check-in, meals, onsen bookings, made local recommendations, etc. and put an exceptional personal touch on our experience.
  • Room: We stayed in one of the "2 Rooms Japanese Style＜River side＞" as it was all that was available when we booked, and it was ample space for 3. This room type does not have an in-room onsen -- though it wasn't something we felt was necessary here.
  • Onsen: There were 2 private outdoor onsens available for booking (no issues getting the timeslots we wanted), 1 outdoor communal onsen (pictured in KI-NRT's original post), and 2 single gender communal onsens (we did not visit). The outdoor communal onsen was by far the most picturesque, and we didn't run into anyone the two times we went.
    • One small note: the onsen temperature was on the warmer side and not adjustable, so we only dipped in a few minutes at a time.
  • Food: Stellar kaiseki cuisine which was different each meal: lots of unique and local dishes presented beautifully, but with a Japanese subtlety. On par with a Michelin star meal. We ate all our meals in the restaurant, which was well-decorated. Each table was very private, and we were seated at a different table each meal (some in private rooms, others by the window, etc.). Clement also typed up English menus for us, which was very kind.
• Takefue
  • Up in the mountains, this secluded property has a rather high price tag which is understandable once you arrive. The property was vast, luxurious, and modern. It's amazing they were able to build this kind of property in such a setting. Every moment of our stay felt like part of a concerto; we were accompanied by a friendly headset-wearing staff member for most of the time we spent outside of our room, including the personalized greeting as we drove in/out and being escorted to our onsen appointments.
  • Room: We stayed in the Tenku room, one of the 4 "special" rooms and the one closest to the registration building. This room was recently renovated/expanded -- there were 2 in-room onsens (one indoor and one outdoor). The room was modern, luxurious, and well thought out, and no detail was spared -- including a complimentary minifridge with local milk, Aesop hand soap, a unique hand coffee grinder plus a chemex, yuzu and a drink bucket by the in-room onsen, a massive TV, extra-thick vests and coats, and more. It was the only room available when we booked, though I suspect we would have been just as satisfied with any of the 12 rooms on property.
  • Onsen: The 2 in-room onsen were both exceptional: beautiful hardwood, gorgeous setting, adjustable temperature, and even a portable JBL speaker. We also tried 2 of the 4 private bookable onsens on property -- Chikujo no Ma (available only to guests of 4 rooms) and Chikurin no Yu. Chikujo no Ma was huge and where I'd want to host a party; it's a bummer we could only stay for an hour. Chikurin no Yu was also large and simply serene with a more rocky setting.
  • Food: Dinner was extravagant. If I were to only have one kaiseki meal in Japan, this would probably be it. The 10+ courses covered a wide range of Japanese cuisine and were all decadent and magnificently presented, including a binchotan grill in the middle of our dining table for the grilled wagyu course. Both dinner and breakfast were served in our room.