We've always wanted to stay here, but found it next to impossible to secure an upper category room, at least outside of the Summer months. Just like Iwanoyu, however, I've learned the trick, and am sharing it with all of you here
Mifuneyama Rakuen park, with a view of Mt. Mifuneyama. During peak flower season, the entire area around the mountain burst with a variety of colors. Too bad our visit didn't coincide with this phenomenon (typically in April.)
Here's how things work at Chikurintei - Online, they begin accepting reservations 6 months out, and only make the lowest 2 room types bookable, and even then, only a few rooms are released for online bookings. Additionally, you are not able to select the exact when doing so. Although phone reservations can't happen any earlier, there are several rooms that are withheld for phone bookings, and the top room ("Shuho") is only bookable by phone. For what it's worth, repeat guests can reserve 11 months from their planned check-in date, which is partly what makes it incredibly difficult to book any of the 11 rooms during peak season (anytime other than Summer.) The other thing I learned from talking to the manager there - given the price gulf between Shuho and all of the other rooms, Shuho is typically easier to get than some of the other rooms that are far better value. We called them exactly 6 months prior and were able to get Shuho, much to our surprise and delight.
One of the indoor art installations at TeamLab Mifuneyama inside Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel
Like many major Onsen towns in Kyushu (i.e. Kurokawa, Yufuin, Beppu, Unzen, Ibusuki, Kirishima), the 1300-year-old Takeo Onsen town is extremely popular, especially among veteran Asian tourists that know full well that Kyushu is culturally sophisticated, has wonderful cuisine, is rich in history and is home to most Onsens than anywhere else in Japan. It doesn't hurt that most major Asian cities have direct flights to Fukuoka - from there, it's a 1 hour JR Express train ride to Takeo Onsen from Hakata Station. From Nagasaki, the Shinkansen will whisk you there in about 25 minutes. There's a lot to see and in and near Takeo Onsen (and Saga Prefecture in general) - Ureshino, Arita, Imari and Karatsu have a variety of sightseeing spots, and the entire region is known for tea, lacquerware/porcelain, museums and more. In our case, we took a leisurely 90 minute drive from Unzen, stopping by Higashi Sonogi, known for its Sonogi sencha tea, along the way.
Onyado Chikurintei - inside entryway
Takeo Onsen itself is famous for - you guessed it - it's incredible Onsen. The spring waters feel smooth on the skin from a high concentration of sodium bicarbonate. This characteristic has proved to be a magnet for many people over the years, including feudal lords, literary figures and even emperors. Takeo Onsen also has wonderful scenery - the gardens surrounding Mt. Mifuneyama burst with colors in March from Azalea, Wisteria and Spring maples, and in April from the numerous Cherry Blossoms that dot the landscape. The center of Takeo Onsen is home to several historic public bathhouses, including the Takeo Onsen Shinkan, which was built in 1915 by a famous architect that also designed Tokyo Station's iconic Marunouchi Station Building. Standing at the entrance of the bathhouse district is the Sakura-mon gate, a towering red structure that is the symbol of the Onsen town. Onyado Chikurintei is about 2 kilometers away from the town center, which isn't a bad thing - sitting at the base of Mt. Mifuneyama, it offers very nice views of the charismatic hill, and adjacent to it sits Mifuneyama Rakuen, a massive and gorgeous park founded in 1845 and is particularly attractive in the non-Winter months. Also within walking distance from the ryokan is sister property Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel, which features TeamLab art installations inside.
Onyado Chikurintei - Daiyokujo (gender-segregated communal open-air Onsen bath)
The 11-room Onyado Chikurintei is the only bona-fide luxury ryokan in Takeo Onsen with a reputation of offering seclusion, privacy and high standards of service. This is one of the ryokans where we would've been more than happy staying in one of the mid-category rooms (dubbed the Japanese-Western rooms) - they are plenty spacious, all room have Onsen, and every group of guests are treated to meals served in their own room. That said, we really wanted to try for "VIP Room Shuho", a 250mē stand-alone Villa that has its own dedicated entrance, an open-air Onsen bath, a private rock garden, and commanding views of Mt. Mifuneyama. Shuho also hosted Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in 1992, as well as the Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako in 1996. Shuho was last renovated in 2017, so it's not at all in shabby condition, either. There is, however, quite a bit of wasted space; Shuho had a few tatami rooms that served no purpose, save for the times when futons are laid out in those rooms to serve 4 or more guests at the same time. We were able to check out two of the more popular rooms - Gochiku and Shakunage, which offer great bang for the buck and, in Shakunage's case, the possibility of being surrounded by Sakura in bloom if you're there at the right time.
Private corridor to "VIP Room Shuho", a 250mē private villa
Outside view from the rock garden of VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa
Outer hallway of VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa
VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa
VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa
VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa
VIP Room "Shuho", a 250mē private villa - open-air Onsen bath
As was the case with Ryotei Hanzuiryo, service was sophisticated and elegant; our room attendant (Ms. Suzuki) was decked out in a gorgeous silk kimono and was an amazing advisor in helping to craft an efficient self-tour itinerary during our time in the area. She also was extremely knowledgeable of the cuisine that was being served - we got a great education on the unique cooking methods employed by the ryokan's kitchen staff. Here again, our room was refreshed each time we ventured outside, even for a 30 minute walk around the adjacent park. Aman's room ninjas have nothing on Emi Suzuki, that's for sure. The ryokan also shows great flexibility in fulfilling guests' wishes, too. If you'd prefer to have a chair and table rather than sitting on the floor, that's no problem - just notify them at least a day in advance and they can comply. Is the Onsen too hot? An engineer will immediately show up and make the necessary adjustments.
Hirame (Flounder), Kanpachi (Greater Japanese Amberjack) and Shima Aji (Striped Jack) sashimi
Saga beef filet steak
Age Sobayaki (fried buckwheat flour dumplings) with walnuts inside
I wouldn't call the food a letdown, we didn't feel it lived up to its stellar reputation as a culinary tour-de-force. While they certainly used the highest quality ingredients from the region, the quantity of dishes was less than what we typically experience at other luxury ryokans; we would've preferred more assortment of smaller dishes if we had nit to pick. We love Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch), but having the fish wrapped with various vegetables inside was unnecessary and sort of strange. Ditto for the deep-fried Japanese potato stuffed with Sea Urchin and Lily Bulb. It was - as expected - quite dry, and we barely could taste the Uni that was overpowered by the potato. Some of the courses were terrific, however, especially the Fried buckwheat flour dumplings with walnuts inside. Simple, not too sweet, and had a mochi-like texture mixed with a nutty crunch. Excellent.
View of Mt. Mifuneyama from Shuho's private dry rock garden
Given how often we travel to Kyushu, I can imagine us making a repeat visit to Onyado Chikurintei. If there is a next time, we certainly would like to return when flowers are in bloom and there is actual foliage on the trees, and we will combine the stay with a visit to Hirado and Sasebo, two historic locations in remote Nagasaki that we've yet to visit.