Walking through Tsuetate Onsen, a Hidden Village in Kyushu

A hot spring town where carp streamers and traditional steam culture still thrive

When spring arrives, the hot spring town of Tsuetate in Oguni, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, becomes famous for an unforgettable scene: countless carp streamers rising to fill the sky above the river.
From April through May each year, roughly 3,500 colorful koinobori hang across ropes spanning the Tsuetate River, transforming the mountain-bound hot…