This place is great! For an insight into how an authentic Ryokan looks and feels, this is the place to try. Beautiful cherry wood floors, wonderful rooms with soft tatami mats. The dinner was just outstanding while breakfast was fabulous. The onsen was great with both an indoor and outdoor pool. I cannot say enough good things about this place.

Historic Ryokan and "the place" to visit in town. Well maintained and decent food- also not over-the-top. The local, weathered-industrial by the sea town is charming though... a better option for Hinagu is probably to stay at a smaller local inn, hit the public baths, and check out & support the nearby izakaya. Would probably be a more authentic experience.

Kinparou is famous amongst locals in Kumamoto Prefecture and Yatsushiro City, due to its long history and authenticity. Originally built in 1909, the wooden architecture and antique furnishings take you back to Japan's Meiji Era, over 100 years ago. My partner and I live in the area and decided to celebrate our anniversary close to home to avoid travel during the pandemic. We booked one night, with a dinner and breakfast plan. The meticulously kept traditional gardens were stunning to behold from our third floor room. We stayed on a quiet weeknight so we each had our respective gendered onsen to ourselves. Both the women's and men's onsen offer indoor and outdoor (rotenburo) baths, providing a lovely way to relax and wash away the stresses of work. Traditionally, ryokan do not have bathing facilities in every room, which was true for ours, but we didn't mind using the shared onsen to bathe; this may be something to keep in mind for those who prefer private shower/bath facilities inside their room though. We had included notes in our reservation about my aversion to seafood and were delighted to find that the chefs had kindly organised a special set menu for me, substituting seafood for meats instead. My partner enjoyed fresh fish, king prawns, Hinagu chikuwa, and sashimi, while I gladly ate roast beef salad, basashi, beef stew, and slow cooked pork belly among other delights. This is the first ryokan we have stayed at that has been able to perfectly cater to my allergies. Everything was delicious as well! Don't forget to enjoy a cup for coffee in the gallery after breakfast too. When you're not relaxing in the rooms or onsens, I highly recommend donning the provided yukata and going for a walk around the Hinagu Onsen area. Bunpeiyu Onsen, Hinagu Onsen Shrine, and the Muratsu Family Residence with it's beautiful namako walls, are all within a short walk away. Our nakai-san (hostess) was polite and attentive, guiding us through our stay from start to finish. While other Kyushu ryokans (eg: Yufuin, Beppu, Unzen, Kurokawa) are geared towards wowing visitors with luxury, Kinparou and its tireless staff seem to be more focused on giving their guests an outstanding experience that upholds the original purpose and atmosphere of a traditional ryokan. It's a must for anyone in the area who wants to experience the real Japan.

The atmosphere is great here. It is an amazing old building. The onsen is nice, too. I was a little disappointed that the water had a chlorine smell.

Just historic. Didn't stay.