In Japan, you can find onsen (traditional Japanese baths) everywhere, in hotels, ryokans (traditional Japanese accommodation), in large and small cities ... But to really live a different experience, you have to travel to Kinosaki onsen, a small town in northern Japan, where you can enjoy a relaxing day in its many bathhouses.

Located in Hyogo Prefecture, very close to the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan, Kinosaki Onsen is a beautiful onsen town with all the details of ancient Japan. Again, in this case, it is worth staying in one of its ryokans and enjoying the hospitality and onsen culture, because you cannot stay in Kinosaki Onsen and not wear your yukata in the afternoon/evening and stroll through the town!

Kinosaki has 7 public onsens, in addition to those offered by some ryokans. Most of them are in the beautiful pedestrian streets of the town, next to a tree-lined canal.

Almost all accommodations there include a pass to enter the 7 designated public bathhouses of the town.

In the hotel, they also provide yukata ("cotton kimono") and getas (wooden flip flops) so you can leave without having to dress and undress each time you go from one onsen to another.

Before leaving, they will show you how to get dressed in the yukata, with some good humored teasing and laughter from the staff, since foreigners are a bit inexperienced in that. Dressing the yukata has its technique and walking with getas is not easy, it will be eventually become habit!

They also provide you with a small bag to store your things and a small towel.

It's fun to see a lot of people walking through the streets with elegant and colorful yukatas. But it is not a place popular only with foreign tourists, many of the people who go to the onsens are Japanese!

To enter an onsen there are several rules that you must learn before, and which you can read about in other blogs.

The seven onsens of Kinosaki

In general, onsen has a very wide schedule, some until 11 pm. The tour usually begins at noon, after check-in at the hotel, but you must take into consideration that everyone closes one day of the week.

1. Satono yu: it is the closest onsen to the station. They have a great rotemburo (or outdoor onsen), they're quite large, and have several hot tubs. The area for ​​women and men changes every day because they have two different bathing areas (traditional Japanese and Roman). If you want to try both areas, you will have to go two days in a row. Closed on Mondays. Open from 01:00 p.m. to 09:00 p.m.
2. Jizou yu: located at the intersection of the two main streets. Simpler than the previous one, it only has a large bathing pool. Closed on Fridays. Open from 07:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
3. Yanagi yu: the smallest onsen in town. There is a small foot bath near the entrance. Closed on Thursdays. Open from 03:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
4. Ichino yu: has a rotemburo in a kind of cave, very beautiful. Closed on Wednesdays. Open from 07:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
5. Goshono yu: is one of the biggest. It has a very nice rotemburo, in front of the trees. Close the first and third Thursday of the month. Open from 07:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
6. Mandara yu: Is the only one who is not on the main streets. Closed on Wednesdays. Open from 03:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
7. Kouno yu: it was the first onsen of Kinosaki. Closed on Tuesdays. Open from 07:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Practical tips

1.To get to Kinosaki there are fast direct trains from Himeji and Osaka. They are the fastest train connections. From other places, the trip is slower because trains make many stops.

2.The Limited express Hamakaze train from Himeji takes less than 2 hours. And towards Osaka 2.5 hours.

3. From the train station you can easily walk to the hotels of the two main streets.

4. The accommodation in the village is not cheap, although it must be considered that the entrance to the 7 bathrooms is included with the price of the room.

5. At night, restaurants close very early. To eat there are many restaurants along the main street.

6. One of the neat things about the seven public onsens is that they are tattoo friendly, which is great for many travelers who want to try the onsen experience. (Please note that your ryokan or hotel may have different rules regarding tattoos)

In summary, Kinosaki Onsen is in our opinion, an essential visit, for a different, fun, relaxing and very healthy experience!

Contact us if you would like to book your Kinosaki Onsen trip today at inquiry@his-usa.com