We asked HotelME, a hotel search app available in ChatGPT, to “find an Aso hot-spring inn where I can use the Kyushu Fukko-Wari discount, on a weekday in December,” and it turned up Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu (旅の宿 阿蘇乃湯) at Aso Uchinomaki Onsen in Aso City, Kumamoto. HotelME is provided by MetroEngines, Inc., the operator of HotelBank. The eligible dates described here are search results as of October 31, 2026, and do not guarantee availability or that the discount will apply.

How to Find Fukko-Wari Inns with HotelME in ChatGPT

HotelME is a hotel search app you use inside a ChatGPT conversation. Connect it from the HotelME page in ChatGPT, then select the app in your conversation (on supported screens you can also pick it with “@”). It is free and requires no MetroEngines account. There are no special commands: just state your destination, dates and party size in everyday language, such as “Find an Aso hot-spring inn where I can use the Kyushu Fukko-Wari discount, on a weekday in December.”

What comes back is a list of candidate properties, the dates on which an eligible plan was confirmed on the official booking site, a reference price (only where one could be confirmed), and a date-specific link to the official booking page. HotelME points you to eligible-plan information observed on official booking sites; it does not take bookings or payments. The information shown is as of the time it was checked, and current availability, whether the discount applies, and whether a booking will go through are not guaranteed.

The Fukko-Wari search covers 1–5 adults, 1 room, 1 night, and you can view up to 31 candidate check-in dates at once. It cannot search child rates, stays of 2 or more nights, or 2 or more rooms, so families should re-enter the party size on the official booking page or check with the property. It also does not cover every property in Kyushu.

What Kind of Inn Is Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu?

Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu is a hot-spring inn in Ori, Aso City, Kumamoto. What follows summarizes only what is stated on the inn’s official website and official booking page (both checked on October 31, 2026).

Hot Spring

According to the official site, Uchinomaki in Aso is a historic hot-spring village visited by many literary figures, including Natsume Soseki and the poets Yosano Tekkan and Akiko, and the inn says it is loved by locals as an “old-fashioned neighborhood bathhouse.” It has a large public bath, an open-air bath, a private reservable bath and a foot bath. The water is a simple thermal spring (weakly alkaline, colorless and clear), and the 47°C source water is served free-flowing. The official booking page describes it as an abundant spring rising from 685 m underground, and the foot bath is free-flowing too. Bathing hours are 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. after check-in, and the large bath and private bath are also open from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next morning. The private bath is free and by reservation, with bookings taken at check-in (per the official booking page). Note that the official site says the open-air bath is closed for the time being because of the risk of freezing, so it is not available in the morning. If you are staying in December, it is worth asking about the open-air bath’s reopening when you book.

Meals

Dinner is described as Aso-raised akaushi (red-haired wagyu) beef grilled on a ceramic plate with seasonal Aso ingredients. Breakfast features “ingredients that color the Aso morning,” and the inn says it can prepare meals suited to children’s ages. However, on October 31, 2026 the official booking page listed only two Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari plans — room-only and with breakfast — and no plan with dinner. The breakfast on the breakfast plan is described as Aso rice cooked in spring water, served with egg dishes, grilled fish and dressed local vegetables. For the room-only plan, the inn says it will recommend a nearby izakaya.

Building and Rooms

The building is made entirely of hinoki cypress, with light pouring in from a vaulted ceiling, and guests are greeted by antique clocks, seasonal wildflowers and the owner’s prized antiques. The rooms are described as “a nostalgic, relaxing space that brings back the good old days.” There is a covered garage for guests arriving by motorcycle; if you want to use it, mention it when booking.

According to the room information on the official booking page, the rooms are non-smoking Japanese-style rooms (6, 8 and 10 tatami mats) with a TV, heating and air conditioning, a refrigerator, and in-house Wi-Fi. Rooms have no bath or toilet; guests use shared toilets and washbasins near the rooms. All rooms are on the second floor, and there is no elevator — stairs only. Futons are self-service: you lay them out yourself. If you have mobility concerns or a lot of luggage, consult the inn before booking.

Location and Access

By car, it is about 1 hour from Kumamoto City via National Route 57, about 40 minutes from Kumamoto Airport, and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Fukuoka City via the Kyushu Expressway and Kumamoto IC. Free parking is available for 20 cars. By public transport, it is about 10 minutes by taxi from Uchinomaki Station, about 15 minutes by taxi from Aso Station, and about a 5-minute walk from the “Aso Shitamachi” local bus stop. The inn advises checking the weather in advance, as road conditions can deteriorate in winter due to snow.

The news section of the official site (dated October 12, 2026) says “Now accepting December bookings for the Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari” and asks guests to call for details. Online booking switched to a new reservation system on February 19, 2026.

Kyushu Fukko-Wari Eligible Dates and Prices (HotelME and Official Booking Page, as of October 31, 2026)

According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari is a discount program to revive tourism demand in Kyushu after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (令和8年熊本地震) triggered a wave of accommodation cancellations across the region. The discount is 50% of the travel or accommodation price, or 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima. It is capped per person per trip, at ¥20,000 for accommodation-only products. Kumamoto’s eligible period covers stays from October 1 to December 25, 2026, and ends early once the prefecture’s budget runs out. Worked examples of the discount and which dates make it go furthest are laid out in Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari: 60% Off in Kumamoto, Kagoshima, ¥20,000 Cap.

Here is what a HotelME search for Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu returned as of October 31, 2026 (2 adults, 1 room, 1 night; our own research; not a real-time availability check).

Of the 7 weekdays, we list the 4 in early December as examples (HotelME also confirmed Tuesday, December 15; Thursday, December 17; and Thursday, December 24). Because HotelME could not confirm prices for this inn, on October 31, 2026 we checked the prices shown on the inn’s official booking page for these 4 dates and for a Friday, December 11 check-in (Table 2). The official booking page listed two plans — “[Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari ★ Room Only] Enjoy the hot spring to the full” and “[Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari ★ With Breakfast] Breakfast with Aso rice cooked in spring water and local vegetables” — and the plan description states, “The price of this plan is after the recovery discount.” For all 5 dates, the same plan and room showed the same price.

Checked on the official booking page on October 31, 2026. Amounts are the prices shown on the official booking page (which the inn describes as already reflecting the recovery discount): total for 2 adults, 1 room, 1 night, consumption tax included, accommodation tax and bathing tax extra (bathing tax listed as ¥150 per adult). These are reference prices, not final prices. All rooms are non-smoking Japanese-style rooms. Wednesday, December 9 had no sales, and eligible plans could not be booked for 1 adult. Tuesday, December 15; Thursday, December 17; and Thursday, December 24, which HotelME confirmed, also showed as on sale on the official booking page, at the same prices as Table 2. This is not a promise of availability, and neither the prefecture’s remaining budget nor the application of the discount is guaranteed.

Even within Kumamoto, how the post-discount price is displayed and how you pay differ from property to property. For example, a cottage property near Kurokawa Onsen showed the post-discount price in its plan names on the official booking site; this kazokustay article on the Kurokawa Onsen cottages (in Japanese) lists its dates alongside the prices. Our HotelME search for the same cottages is covered in Kyushu Fukko-Wari Kurokawa Onsen Cottage: Weekday Dates via HotelME. At Aso no Yu, as noted above, the plan description states that the price is after the discount.

How to Book and What to Watch For

Book on the inn’s official booking page. HotelME also provides a date-specific link to the official booking page, but here we give the booking page’s entry point. Select dates and party size on the page.

Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu official booking page

The steps are as follows.

1. On the official booking page, select your own stay dates and party size. The HotelME search assumed 2 adults, so re-enter the number if yours differs. When we checked on October 31, 2026, eligible plans could not be booked for 1 adult.
2. From the plans shown, choose a Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari plan (room only or with breakfast) and a room (6-, 8- or 10-tatami Japanese room). Eligible plans and rooms can vary by date, so always check each price against its date.
3. For payment, the official booking page shows “online payment available / pay at the property available.” The page does not explain how the discount is processed or whether ID is required, so if in doubt, check with the inn (phone 0967-32-1521). In the HotelME results, both how the discount is applied and payment are listed as “check on the official page.”
4. Under the official booking page’s policy, cancellation fees are 30% 3–2 days before the stay, 50% the day before, and 100% for same-day cancellations and no-shows.
5. The official booking page’s display takes precedence for the latest availability and prices. HotelME’s eligible dates are results checked as of October 31, 2026, and may since have sold out or ended.

When the prefecture’s budget runs out, eligible plans end without notice (for how inventory moves after sales stop, see Kyushu Subsidy Sold Out: Kumamoto 5.5x on Launch Day, ~20% Pace After). Travel products that were already booked are excluded, so if you want the discount, choose an eligible plan from the start rather than rebooking into one. In Nagasaki, discount coupons for direct bookings with properties have reached the budget limit and are no longer being accepted (they may resume without notice, for example as bookings are cancelled). Kumamoto covers stays through December 25, and the inn’s news section says “Now accepting December bookings,” so calling is also a quick way to check.

As for the baths, the official site says “the open-air bath is closed for the time being because of the risk of freezing,” so if the open-air bath is the reason for your stay, ask about its December reopening when you book. The large bath and the free, reservation-only private bath are also available from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next morning.

Explore Further

Frequently Asked Questions

Methodology and Sources

■ Data Sources

Eligible dates and discount conditions are from search results of HotelME (MetroEngines, Inc.), a hotel search app in ChatGPT, as of October 31, 2026 (our own research). The inn’s hot spring, meals, building and access are from the official website of Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu, and plans, prices, rooms and the cancellation policy are from the inn’s official booking page (both checked on October 31, 2026). The discount rate, cap and eligible period are from the Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari information published by the Japan Tourism Agency and the Kyushu Tourism Organization.

■ Assumptions

Prices in Table 2 and the FAQ are those shown on the official booking page on October 31, 2026 (which the inn describes as already reflecting the recovery discount): total for 2 adults, 1 room, 1 night, consumption tax included (accommodation tax and bathing tax extra). They are reference prices, not final prices. HotelME could not confirm prices for this inn.

■ Limitations

This is not a real-time availability check. HotelME’s Fukko-Wari search covers 1–5 adults, 1 room, 1 night, and does not cover every property in Kyushu. Neither the prefecture’s remaining discount budget nor the application of the discount is guaranteed. Prices shown on the official booking page are as of October 31, 2026 and may change. Check the latest availability and prices on the official booking page.

■ Sources

• HotelME search results (MetroEngines, Inc., as of October 31, 2026; our own research). HotelME’s eligible dates are service search results, and there is no public page to cite
• HotelME announcement (HotelBank)
• How to use HotelME (HotelBank)
• Japan Tourism Agency, “Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari” (in Japanese)
• Kyushu Tourism Organization, “Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari” (in Japanese)
• Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu official website (Natural Hot Spring, Meals, Facilities, Access and News pages, checked October 31, 2026)
• Tabi no Yado Aso no Yu official booking page (the two Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari plans, prices, rooms and cancellation policy, checked October 31, 2026)