Kinosaki Onsen

Background

Kinosaki Onsen lies in Kinosaki-chō, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, a hot-spring town along the Ōtani River on the Sea of Japan side. The town has seven public outer baths — Ichino-yu, Goshono-yu, Mandara-yu, Satono-yu, Yanagi-yu, Jizō-yu and Kōno-yu — each with its own architecture and style of bath; Goshono-yu, for example, is modeled on the Kyoto Imperial Palace and has an open-air bath with a waterfall view. At the end of the hot-spring town stand Onsen-ji Temple and the Kinosaki Ropeway, which climbs to views over the town and the distant sea. Kinosaki's hot springs are said to have been in use since the 8th century, giving the town more than 1,300 years of history; one account names the priest Dōchi as their founder. In modern times Kinosaki became a destination for writers, and the Kinosaki Literary Museum presents Shiga Naoya and other authors connected with the town. Winter is the season for snow crab (matsuba-gani), and summer brings lanterns, fireworks and other seasonal events, with exact dates subject to official announcements.

Local customs

• Most inns provide an outer-bath pass that lets you visit the outer baths during your stay
• there is no need to cover all seven at once — three or four, enjoyed slowly, are enough. In the evening, stroll along the Ōtani River to see the willows, stone bridges and inn lanterns lit up, then return to your inn for dinner
• by day, take the ropeway to Onsen-ji and the summit observatory, or visit nearby Genbudo Cave and the Izushi area, leaving plenty of time to get back
• in winter, plan a snow-crab meal, and in summer, check the official dates for riverside lantern and fireworks events.

Travel tips

• Each of the seven outer baths has its own closing days and opening hours, so how many you can visit in a day depends on the weekday and your arrival time
• go by the day's opening schedule. Satono-yu has been closed for renovation
• check official announcements for its current status. According to the Setouchi official tourism site, all seven outer baths admit tattooed bathers, but individual inns have their own rules, so check in advance. Day passes for the outer baths and single-bath tickets are low to moderately priced, and inn guests can usually bathe free with their pass
• check official information for details. The hot-spring town is compact: the main outer baths and the station are linked on foot, and luggage can be left at your inn or near the station.
• JR limited express trains reach Kinosaki in about 2.5 hours from Kyoto and about 2 hours 45 minutes from Osaka or Shin-Osaka, without changing
• check JR official timetables for trains. Kinosaki Onsen Station stands at the entrance to the hot-spring town, and from there you can walk along the Ōtani River to the outer baths and inns. You can visit all year round: winter is snow-crab season and a time for bathing amid snow, but watch for wind, snow and train disruptions on the Sea of Japan side
• in spring cherry blossoms line the Ōtani River
• summer brings many riverside lantern and fireworks events
• autumn is mild and ideal for walking between baths.