Minami Aso Luna Observatory Auberge Mori no Atelier

Absolutely a must for stargazing lovers. The observatory is placed in a serene spot in Minami Aso and a narrow road will bring you there. The evening visit to planetarium is included very informative and engaging followed with a visit to a telescope the second largest in Kyushu. Friendly staff with a vast knowledge of sky above. The room is more like a large studio with spacious bathroom. The breakfast was delicious. Overall amazing and would like to visit again!

N/A

Das Personal war sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit. Wir wurden sehr nett empfangen. Es ist alles sehr rustikal und mit viel Liebe dekoriert. Mit dem Frühstück waren wir zufrieden und wurden auch sehr aufmerksam bewirtet.

Es war an unserem Tag sehr heiß und wir waren vom Motorradfahren verschwitzt und waren noch vom miterlebten Erdbeben etwas aufgeregt. Im Bad war es sehr warm. Ich bemerkte erst nach dem Duschen die warme Belüftung und leider auch die dunkle Wand. Normalerweise hätten wir das Zimmer gewechstelt. Das Wandproblem- feuchte Wand und ...., muss unbedingt behoben werden.

Incredible stay, massively exceeded expectations. Was just supposed to be a bed on the way through - got the most amazing observatory tour from the most incredibly qualified guides. Amazing stories, and still talking about it on our travels around the world

Das leckere Abendessen und anschliessende Sternennacht (Blick durchs Teleskop und Liegen unter dem Sternenhimmel) hat uns gut gefallen.

Die Sauberkeit im ersten Zimmer lies zu wünschen übrig, so dass wir das Zimmer wechseln mussten. Dies war aber zum Glück möglich.

感動体験 料理

部屋にカメムシがたくさん出る お風呂が寒い

大型望遠鏡等を使った星空体験がよかった 星の解説がよかった

房間是寬敞舒適的小木屋👍 接待人員非常友善🩵 觀星體驗很酷🤩 附近的景觀很美🌲

無

Tout, le lieu, l'accueil, les activités comprises, le petit-déjeuner

The staff here were great, helpful, pleasant, and very knowledgeable! The stargazing tour in the evening was great, loved the experience - even if it was a little cloudy, it was still enjoyable and plenty to see. Delicious food for breakfast and dinner too. Comfortable and very spacious room too! Would 100% recommend this hotel.

Staff - very helpful (thank you everyone who helped with our transportation needs), warm & friendly Accommodation - on the whole is quaint and unique (you can see the dome of the observatory from the entrance to the main house / hotel). Additional ‘lodges’ within the compound - where we stayed - made up the accommodation offered. Only thing that marred the stay was the rain that prevented us from enjoying the full stargazing event. The planetarium was interesting - thank you! NOTE: it would have been better if we had driven ourselves as there are more areas to explore around Minami-Aso.

The path from the lodges could do with more illumination. Although torches were provided, it was fiddly to manage torch, brolly and watching out for uneven surfaces on the path to the main house for meals.

It was rustic, cozy and beautifully furnished, food was fantastic and best of all their staff were really welcoming and accommodating and that made its stay incredibly special

slightly run down eg at the bathroom but it wasn’t a big issue for us

天体望遠鏡

部屋に入るドアの鍵部分がとても貧弱でした。

Staff and food were excellent

Rooms were old and a bit run down

お食事はこちらの希望を叶えていただきありがとうございます。帰る時雪が降ってて傘と毛糸の帽子を持たせていただきました。

天気が悪く天体望遠鏡で星を見られなかった事

スタッフの対応

A couple of standout things: the breakfast, wow, so good. Please note it is a set breakfast Japanese Western style, not a buffet. Because my little brother and I stayed two nights we were so excited for breakfast the second morning because the first morning has been excellent and we were looking forward to having the same thing again but the kitchen in its incredible attention to detail noted we were there for two and we had a different set the second morning. Equally as delicious but our initial disappointment was hilarious. The great food was helpful as consolation. The second standout was the observatory tour and star gazing. I don't want to ruin it for anyone but absolutely worth it. The hotel itself is a whimsical delight with a retro feel and the staff were lovely.

The lighting in the rooms was interesting and it was sometimes difficult to locate the switch for the right light. A small thing.

Lovely place to relax and experience the night sky away from the light pollution of the city. The staff are clearly enthusiastic on the subject and eager to teach in both Japanese and English. Breakfast is really good too. For those travelling without a car, make sure to plan ahead, as trains to and from the area are fairly infrequent. They do line up well with the check-in and out times though. I travel alone, but I imagine this would be a particularly great and romantic stay for couples, as the annex you stay in is very cozy and rustic.

野外で寝袋に入っての星空の観測会があった。

なし

Wonderful place to stay in beautiful Minami-Aso. The star gazing experience was really special. Staff are kind and so informative. Meals are delicious. We loved the library, charming common areas and garden. Accommodation rustic, but cosy and Annex room was spacious for family. We hope to return some day!

I felt the experience was a mixed bag. We stayed in the annex and the rooms were pretty comfortable. The breakfast the next day was basic (american style) but cute and filling enough. The observatory show was interesting though not outstanding.

Our room was very cold. I know we stayed in December and the weather was cold, but the staff knows about it. it took a solid 2-3 hours to bring the room to a comfortable temperature. thanks god for heated floors. So it would be really helpful if they pre-heated the rooms for guests' arrival. The observatory show consisted of 3 parts: a platenarium presentation (all in japanese), a look through the telescope, and outdoor stargazing. The planetarium part was a bit boring. I suppose if i spoke japanese it would have been more fun but the visuals were not that impressive. seeing through the telescope was really cool. but i wish they showed us the moon or something more impressive than jupiter that just looks like a blurry dot. i dunno, maybe i am just not into this or maybe the day was too cloudy to see clearly. But i was disappointed but what i saw through the telescope hahahaha

The observatory guided tour and outdoor stargazing inside a sleeping bag is an amazing experience. The western style breakfast was very delicious!

Would be nice if the bathroom could have some hook or bath towel racks to hang our towels and clothes. It need a heating device in the bathroom during cold nights.

星をみる設備が素晴らしかった

夜中寝ている時 何度か動物が動く音がして怖かった

天体観測がとても良かったです。

The additional star glazing, observatory tour was very interesting addition to the accommodation. Very good experience

The villa is old and prefer to have doors for the rooms

המקום מיוחד מאוד. החדר מרווח ונעים ארוחת הערב והבחקר טעימות מאוד פעילות הכוכבים בלילה היתה נפלאה במיוחד לשכב על מיטות שדה בשק שינה ולצפות בכוכבים. יקר אבל שווה את המחיר

Star Gazing

Ausrüstung im Zimmer war schlecht. Keine Pfannen, keine Teller oder Besteck in der Kitchenette. Das WC hat stark nach Urin gerochen.

星が天文台から見れるのとお庭で寝そべって星をみるというとても素晴らしかった。

寝る部屋にカメムシが数匹いたり、 天井が高いせいか、上の埃が気になった。 泊まる部屋をもう少し新しく綺麗な空間にして頂けたら、最高！

Hôtel familiale très charmant et chaleureux avec le personnel très sympa et attentives. Notre chambre/appartement était énorme . le diner, optionnel, 50 euros, Européen, 5 étoiles. petit déjeuner était excellent, Mais le clou du spectacle était le star gazing tour. en premier la planétarium avec l'explications d'un vrai astronome, après la vision par le télescope, un monstre de 11 tonnes. Et pour finir dehors sur un lit de camps regarder les étoiles et écouter les explications de l'astronome.

Chambre un peu humide.

Interesting experience

An absolute must visit for every stargazing fan. We got to see Stars, Planets and even Comets trough the second largest telescop of Kyushu. We could see Saturn with some of it's Moons, a twin star and our guide even showed us Swan comet on request. The House itself is packed with all kind of stargazing curiosities, we felt like being transported to an whole other world. Western style dinner and breakfast made from local products was more than delicious. All in all an otherworldly experience.

Location, facility, observatory, food and staff were amazing.

Nothing, all great.

Oplevelse

None

The staff was very attentive and friendly. Star glazing trip guides were very informative.

The cabin was outdated and lack of maintenance.

Property was selected for star gazing. Weather was not good and outdoor activities were shifted indoor. Did not manage to see any stars due to bad condition. Good breakfast.

More maintenance should be done for external areas. The building near the parking area was sadly neglected and it formed a bad first impression.

スタッフの方が熱心な説明で、とても親切だった。料理も美味しかった。

部屋が少しカビ臭かった

the observatory the food … we ate breakfast and dinner there which was perfectly good with attentive service and the staff were very pleasant and accommodating

dated everything, grubbiness of the accommodation, majorly cracked washbasin which was home to god knows what. The place needs a massive comprehensive refurbishment which looks to be long overdue.

皆既月食の日で、夜中１時から朝５時まで展望台と外の寝ながら星が見える星が原の簡易ベッドを解放していただき、博士号を持つコンシェルジュの方々がどんな質問にも興味深い返事をくださり、充実した内容でした。 月食に合わせ手作りメロンパンをただきました。

The rooms and the facilities are UNIQUE. The fact that you can see the stars from the observatory is precious.

It was unfortunately cloudy the day we were there!

it was educational

I understand that it’s an old building but everything is really musty and a bit mouldy especially considering the price I’m paying. and to be fair - the day we arrived was raining crazy- so the drive was all for nothing. There was an earthworm and mouse droppings in my bathtub. Portion of food was pretty small. I had pre-ordered food for my child but they didn’t get the email so all they could offer was bread and soup.

Nous avons adoré séjour dans cet établissement. Le personnel est très aimable et lors des soirées d’astronomie, vous avez de véritables passionnés qui vous parlent des étoiles. Le petit déjeuner était bon et nous avons apprécié les efforts pour s’adapter à chacun, notamment à notre fils qui a des allergies alimentaires. Ils sont très professionnels et consciencieux.

Tout était bien.

母を連れての旅行に利用させてもらいました。とても素敵な体験が出来、忘れられない旅になりました。ありがとうございます。 今度は子供達を連れてお邪魔したいです。

The star-gazing tour was excellent. Even the weather was not so good, the staffs still tried their best to introduce.

Fabulous high class European style food, friendly knowledgeable staff and wonderful observatory and star gazing experience set in a peaceful location with lovely maisonette style chalets.

スタッフは親切かつ天文の専門家の方が多く、ホテル全体が星が大好きなことがわかりました。 お料理も美味しく、静かで過ごしやすかったです。

Ambiance incroyable, pouvoir voir les étoiles, en discuter, même si le ciel était un peu couvert la soirée était super

I thought that I had booked a room but I had accidentally booked an adventure. The hotel has a planetarium and an observatory with the second largest telescope in Kyushu. You get a planetarium show and an actual telescope experience. Plus, they take you outside for sky gazing, a campfire and hot drinks ( including muled wine).

The telescope.

The staff were really friendly. The star-gazing tour is really nice (even though we could not see any stars on the day due to the cloudy weather). The room is so big and spacious! The breakfast is OUTSTANDING!

The bed and pillow could be a bit more comfortable.

The presentations at the observatory was great.

Wonderful experience I would recommend for anyone.

早餐及晚餐非常美味，值得下次再來，房間很大，有客廳，按摩浴缸，如對天文地理有興趣，值得推；晚上用天文望遠鏡觀賞星球、接著外出睡在睡袋觀星，外面氣溫寒冷，有火爐及熱飲提供，非常貼心，一試難忘！

Very friendly and helpful staff Rustic but clean with modern facilities. Great food (make sure to try the Akaushi beef)

None.

A friend said this was her favourite hotel in Japan - and it lived up to expectations. We had one of the twin rooms in the main building, which had a separate sitting room and bathroom. The rooms were clean and beds comfortable. What makes this hotel stand out is1) cuisine 2) astronomy 3) friendliness of all those who work there. The breakfasts and dinners we ate at this hotel are some of the best meals I have ever eaten in my life. If you stay more than one night you get a different cooked breakfast and evening meal to the previous day. French cuisine with Japanese accents. The local beef was so tender, the vegetables so fresh, the homemade bread delicious! The meals are at set times with a set menu - I had contacted them in advance about my food allergy and they did not cook with mushrooms during our stay. They use local beef or pork - they can adjust menus for those who are pescatarian, or want to avoid beef or pork, but do not offer vegetarian meals. The hotel has its own Planetarium with a show for guests each evening - live commentary mainly in Japanese with some English. Next door is the Observatory with an 82cm telescope (2nd biggest in the whole of Kyushu). As part of the stargazing experience ( free to hotel guests) we were able to look through the telescope to see Jupiter, Mars, Sirius, Betelgeuse etc - with live explanations in Japanese and English. The final part of the evening was spent outside lying on camp beds wrapped up warmly in sleeping bags stargazing while a professional astronomer asked us questions on what we had already learnt that evening - could we find the stars and planets we had already looked at through the telescope. He pointed out how we can identify different stars and planets - and answered questions in Japanese and English ( having worked and studied at universities in the USA for 20 years he was bilingual). Many of the staff at the hotel are professional astronomers - post doctoral level.

No room above to finish my review - so I will finish it here - the comments below are all still positive comments! I loved staying at this hotel, and hope I can come back here some day. The hotel provide slippers at the entrance, and numbered cupboards to store outdoor shoes in which was a good idea, as the area surrounding the hotel can be muddy in wet weather. NB – if the weather is wet then the stargazing experience is a little different: planetarium show still takes place but in the observatory guests look at (but not through) the telescope (as the roof will not be opened when weather is wet/overcast) and look at photos which have been taken from the observatory. Afterwards, instead of stargazing outside guests can play a simple space game (with lots of information about space).

Endroit sympa et personnel dévoué. L’expérience de l’observatoire est remarquable, on en est sortis émotionnellement grandis. Bravo !

Unique experience on astronomy with opportunity to view the cosmos using the second largest telescope in Kyushu, knowledgeable staff on astronomy

Price slightly on the high side although the unique experience it offers makes it worthwhile

We stayed here - with dinner and breakfast included. We did not expect the 5 star - 5 course meal for dinner. It was awesome & totally unexpected. The B&B is literally in the middle of nowhere - which is why we chose the dinner and breakfast options - so glad we did. Guests also get to participate in a Virtual Space Tour and view the sky through their onsite telescope and outdoor observation beds. We stayed on a night that unfortunately had skies that were cloudy and raining - so no telescope or outdoor observation. We did get to enjoy the amazing virtual space tour and truly delicious meals - would love to come back to see through the telescope. Lovely people run this place. The staff and owners take real care to look after their guests - the food is extremely delicious, very well prepared and presented. The Virtual Space Tour presenter was very engaging and passionate about space and telescopes etc. He took us above Japan, into the atmosphere above earth, through our solar system, then around the galaxy and outside it using realistic images and detailed video animations etc. With commentary in both English and Japanese.

the weather :-(

good

NA

Nice activities of star viewing.

The staff from the kitchen, housekeeping to reception were exceptionally friendly and helpful making our stay an extremely enjoyable one and feeling as if it’s home away from home. The accommodation has to make a last minute change to the menu of my wife who is lactose intolerant, during our entire stay. My mistake for not informing the hotel before hand. Food was scrumptious and sumptuous. It’s French cuisine and the taste, flavour and flavour was very very good. The star gazing tour, spanning 2 hours, was very interesting and educational. We were able to see Jupiter and Betelgeuse through the telescope of the observatory. Overall despite the higher cost of accommodation it’s definitely value for money. Lastly we regret to only able to obtain the name of one of the staff, Yoshi. Yoshi is a very dedicated and empathetic person and try his best to understand our needs and wants.

The accommodation unit can afford to have more dishes, glasses and knives. We have to seek the help of the kitchen to slice a slab of Maguro.

一切非常美好，縱使天氣不好。 清晰的英文講解天文台，舒服的劇院座椅，有趣的天文劇場解說，精美的餐點。 我媽媽不吃牛肉，希望以後能有選擇。 房間很精美，有香香的木頭味道。在2樓很舒適，歐風建築，我很喜歡。但要搬行李，建議不要拿太多行李。 一定會再訪，非常羨慕日本人有這樣的旅宿，十分令人敬佩。我住台灣，將來有孩子，一定要再過去。

静かな森の中にたたずむ天文台で星についてたくさん勉強でき、とても楽しかったです またスタッフの方々もとても親切でしたし、朝食も見た目からお味、レストランの雰囲気まで本当に最高でした！ 残念ながら曇っていて星の観測が十分にできなかったのでぜひまた訪れたいです

beautiful location but hard to access without car. the area around was surrounded by maple leaves when we visited early December. meals are simple but enough.

we did not get to see the stars as it was a cloudy day. the indoor show in the theatre was underwhelming. meals had to be served at a fixed time. there is no other dinner choices as the next dinning place is far away.

The star gazing tour is quite incredible. It is a never-to-be-forgotten holiday memory. The experience of lying under the stars while an expert talks you through what you can see was incredible. The breakfast was delicious too and the staff had prepared a vegetarian one for me, which I requested in advance. The staff are very helpful and kind.

The fact it is a little old and dated actually adds to its quirkiness and charm. I certainly have never stayed anywhere like it.

The observatory shows were excellent and the staff friendly and presented well even though the part presented in English was limited. Stargazing in the open field even though it was so cold was an experience I will never forget. The dinner meal was also excellent. Really refreshing that all staff could speak English so well.

The food was good - half board was worth it. The staff made sure to text us to let us know what time dinner would be served so we wouldn't be late for the next activity.

The contingency plan in the event that skies weren't clear enough for the star gazing was extremely lackadaisical. Staff didn't seem well prepared either. While it definitely wasn't within anyone's control, it could definitely have been planned better.

Expensive for what you get.

一般にはお目にかかれない、大きな天体ドームと大きな望遠鏡で惑星を観望させていただけて、屋外広場で簡易ベッドとシュラフに包まれての星空観望など、とても素晴らしいです。 食事も申し分ない美味しい料理です。 ただ、部屋が ・風呂や洗面場所が寒くて、風呂に入る気がしない。 （12月に宿泊） ・ベッドの枕元に電気関係のスイッチがなくて不便 ・部屋の明かりが、普通の蛍光灯ではなく、ランプ 　のような照明なので、とても暗い。

A wonderful experience and stay

kerosine heaters in the main spaces.

Quirky and remote property from the Showa era that evokes Ghibli-esque charm. The weather was cold and rainy but our stay at one of the cabins was warm and comfortable. Dinner and breakfast were varied and delicious. Staff spoke English. Highly recommend!

Very natural even if it take some time to go there

No

This place is a total gem! A public observatory, inn, fine dining, Astro physicist tour guides, star gazing in the field & amazing conversations about the universe!! Please don’t miss this experience!

Nothing! The staff will share a schedule of your stay, so please let them know if the timing doesn’t work for you (e.g: 8am breakfast was too early for us and no issues to eat a little later)

It’s a nice place and unique but I think it’s overrated

The stargazing tour and dinner was spectacular. The stargazing brought us to the attic using a telescope to see the actual stars, followed by the planetarium projecting the stars we saw, and an outdoor camping style, coupled with camp fire to explain the stars location in the sky. French style cuisine was delicious and exquisite using local produce.

Some areas of the Annex wasn't upkeep properly, as there's algae growth at the balcony. Summer has a lot more mosquitoes in the mountains.

유럽식의 고풍스러운 인테리어와 클래식한 식사가 아주 유니크한 숙박 경험을 줍니다. 라운지 공간에 굉장히 많은 천문학 서적이 있는 것도 심상치 않은데 본격적인 플라네타리움과 깜짝 놀랄만한 진짜 돔형 천문대와 망원경을 경험할 수 있는 별보기 체험이 잊지 못할 추억을 만들어주었습니다.

Fabulous star gazing tour and experience, staff made an effort to explain it to us in English as well. Food was also excellent. Great experience that is not to be missed!

Nothing, everything was great.

Beautiful, tranquil property with an excellent dinner and star observatory show

Friendly staff who was always willing to help, even when they did not at first understand our requests. The night;y star gazing experience is fantastic!

It’s a serene place in the countryside, I really appreciated the planetarium & observatory experience there. The staff and the owner are all very nice, they will help you with anything you need. My room was so big, I couldn’t believe it. The bathroom was bigger than some hotel rooms in Tokyo.