Amafuru-OKA

"Located on the southeastern end of the Satsuma Peninsula, facing Kagoshima Bay, Ibusuki is famed for its natural sunamushi buro (sunaburo for short), where visitors are buried in geothermally heated volcanic sand for a unique therapeutic treatment. There are thermal spas by the sea as well as in hotels and ryokans in the area, which is the main draw for tourists to this remote getaway. Unlike the typical onsen experience, sunaburo is done in light yukata robes. Guests are buried up to their necks in a mixed-gender sand pit by an attendant, with dividers on and below the ground for privacy. Most sessions last ten to fifteen minutes, followed by a shower and bath to rinse off the sand and unwind further. The steam warms the body, and the weight and heat of the sand provide a distinctive form of thermotherapy, aiding blood circulation, easing muscle pain, and promoting overall wellness. It’s often claimed that sunaburo benefits exceed those of a standard onsen. Amafuru Oka opened in late 2020 as a 15-room property perched on a hill overlooking Kagoshima Bay. Before detailing Amafuru Oka, a note on the larger complex it inhabits: the area was originally Greenpia Ibusuki - Greenpia being “large-scale pension recreation bases” established by the Pension Welfare Service Corporation to enrich retirees’ lives and promote leisure activities. Many Greenpias have since been transferred back to their owners or local governments. The current owner purchased the site, converting part into a cancer-treatment hospital (the owner is a medical surgeon) and a recovery center, with the rest becoming Ibusuki Bay Hills Hotel & Spa, a 103-room property. Amafuru Oka is an annex of Bay Hills and shares many of the facilities with its larger neighbor. What felt odd was that Ibusuki Bay Hills was not accepting reservations for a long period; attempts to understand why yielded no clear answer. The GM cited staff shortages. Booking engines showed no rooms, yet a handful of people stayed in the hotel. They would accept bookings but offer minimal service - room-delivered meals only - and none of the facilities would be available to guests. It felt more like a serviced apartment than a hotel. I suspect staffing shortages are acute in this region. Regardless, the grand, somewhat dated facilities can be confusing to navigate, and it’s a bit eerie how little life there is in such a vast space; the public areas feel underutilized and dated. To access the private onsen, spa, and restaurants, you must go through Bay Hills via a connected walkway. Sounds like a disaster, right? Not really. If you stay on the Amafuru Oka side, it’s serene and soothing, with a solid product since the interior was refreshed when it opened five years ago. Our 112 m² Amafuru Suite was spacious and included an authentic hinoki cypress onsen on the balcony, offering killer views of Ibusuki and the bay beyond. It felt more like a hotel room, though, with mostly carpeted flooring and furnishings that could s"