Kinosaki Onsen (Hyogo Prefecture): How to Visit, When to Go and What It Costs
城崎溫泉 · 城崎温泉 · Kinosaki Onsen
Kinosaki Onsen — Hyogo
| Also known as | 城崎溫泉 · 城崎温泉 · Kinosaki Onsen |
| Region | Hyogo Prefecture, Japan |
| Coordinates | 35.627778, 134.8 |
What it is
Kinosaki Onsen is a hot spring town in Kinosaki, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, with a history known since before the Heian period. During the Edo period it was called "Kaikai Daiichi-sen" (the finest spring in the land), and a stone monument with that inscription still remains. It is one of the hot springs representing Hyogo Prefecture alongside Arima Onsen and Yumura Onsen.
The town's main feature is its seven public bathhouses (sotoyu), which visitors move between on foot. The first bathhouse, Ichinoyu, was called "Arayu" in the Edo period until the Chinese medicine doctor Shintoku Kagawa praised the water quality and renamed it Ichinoyu, meaning "number one in the land." Satonoyu is officially the Toyooka City Kinosaki Onsen Exchange Center, operated under a designated manager system as a public facility.
All the town's springs feed into a centralized distribution facility built in 1972, which stabilizes the average temperature to 57 degrees before piping the water to the public baths and ryokan. The source water is a salt spring with a temperature of 37–83°C. The town forms along the Otani River, lined with willow trees, connecting the station to the seven bathhouses. The bridges over the Otani River were designated as Prefectural Landscape Important Structures in 2006.
Three-story wooden ryokan line the streets under a municipal landscape ordinance. As of 2019 there were 74 inns and hotels, many with fewer than 20 rooms and family-operated. In 2018 the town received about 630,000 visitors, of whom about 50,000 were foreign; roughly 30% came from Europe, the US, and Australia, a higher share than most Japanese hot spring towns (around 10%).
When to go
Kinosaki Onsen is on the Sea of Japan coast. Summer is popular for sea bathing and winter for crab cuisine. The town is compact and can be walked in a day, but staying overnight in a ryokan allows time to use the public baths and foot baths at a relaxed pace.
Getting there
Kinosaki Onsen Station serves the town directly; the hot spring district forms along the Otani River from the station entrance. The station itself has a public bath (Satonoyu), foot baths, and a drinking water fountain. The town is in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan side.
What it costs
The town streets and river area are free to walk. Each of the seven public bathhouses charges its own admission fee, which is paid on entry. Foot baths and drinking fountains located around the town are free to use. Ryokan stays are priced separately by the inn.
Frequently asked questions
What should I wear when walking around town?
Yukata with geta sandals is considered proper dress for the town. Most ryokan provide a separate yukata for going out, distinct from the one worn inside the inn. Shops displaying a "Yukata Goikenban" sign (about 30 as of 2007) can help if your yukata is worn incorrectly. Some inns also have staff who identify which inn a guest belongs to by the yukata pattern and provide that inn's geta.
What is the water like?
The springs are salt springs (shokuen-sen). Source temperatures range from 37 to 83°C. All water passes through a central distribution facility built in 1972 that holds it at an average of 57°C before sending it through pipes to the public baths and ryokan.
Are there things to do besides bathing?
The town has foot baths and drinking fountains at various locations, and the station has a bath, foot bath, and drinking fountain. Nearby Izushi is a castle town with shops, homes, and buildings retaining their original character. The area also has an od market and road rest area on the Sea of Japan side with fresh fish at low prices.
How many bathhouses are there and how do they work?
There are seven public bathhouses. Each gives a numbered ticket (ichiban-fuda) to the first bather of the day. Satonoyu is a public facility operated under a designated manager system and also houses the Toyooka City Kinosaki General Branch Office hot spring department.
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Reference: Wikidata · Wikipedia (ja) · Wikipedia (zh)