boronis109

Hi all! I'm prepping for my honeymoon to Japan and will be in Japan for a month starting next week. I'd like to find a special onsen to spend three nights with my wife and are looking to spend about $1,000 per night (this will definitely be the most expensive portion of our stay!). I've heard from a few people that Kyushu or Beppu are the best destinations for onsens but we are looking for something a bit more off-the-grid, primitive, and traditional that is less touristed.

Would love a few suggestions if you have any! The good news is that we're flexible on dates since we will have a Japan Rail Pass and have an open-ended itinerary after our first week in Tokyo.

curiousgeo

To me $1,000 per night and off the grid, primitive, remote onsen in Japan are two different things though I’m sure they exist somewhere. For a very nice ryokan experience, which is what you seem to be looking for you might look at Hoshino Kai resorts. They have a number of properties in well known as well as more distant locations though I wouldn’t consider any of them remote.

mrwunrfl

I gather that you are looking for a high-end traditional ryokan in an onsen area. Three nights is a long time, one or maybe two would suffice. A large part of the price of a ryokan stay is due to the kaiseki dinner, so you would need to look into the meal options, if any, so that you don't have the same meal for three nights in a row.

I was recently reading about a place, Lamp no Yado at Aoni Onsen in Tohoku that is "off-the-grid, primitive, and traditional". It has no electricity, wifi or cell service. This Gorgeous Japanese Inn Is an Off-the-grid Paradise — With No Electricity, Wi-Fi, or Phone Service (travelandleisure.com)

Instead of that, I chose a ryokan in Nyuto Onsen. Nyuto Onsen is off the beaten path, not off the grid, not primitive but is traditional. I visited one of the ryokan to use their onsen one afternoon and found it to be very traditional and a bit rustic. Hachimantai Travel: Nyuto Onsen (japan-guide.com)

Also in Tohoku, I was looking at a place on the scenic Ou Line along the coast north of Akita. Nearby is an area called Shirakami Sanchi.

Kurokawa Onsen on Kyushu is another place you should consider. There is no railway station, so it is off the beaten path. Am planning to access it by bus. Your options would include renting a car - there are a couple points of interests along the highway (like a huge field of flowers) and Aso-san is nearby. You could hire a private car/taxi to/from Kumamoto Airport but that would get expensive. Kurokawa Onsen Travel Guide - What to do in Kurokawa Onsen (japan-guide.com)

You could also consider Yufuin Onsen to stay at one of the places outside of town.

I can recommend a place in Beppu.