After all the big cities, hours of walking and thousands of kilometres whizzing around the country on high speed Shinkansen it’s time to take it a bit slower and relax in classic Japanese style in the hot springs of Kinsoki Onsen.
About 190km to the north of Osaka you can take what is probably the slowest train in the whole of japan ( the ironically named sonic express).
It takes three hours to wind its way through the green hills and beautiful landscapes of this part of japan…perfect to also slow you down to a more gentle pace of life.
Orientation
Think of the town as a T shape, the train station is at the bottom of the T and most of the onsen as well as places to stay are on the left of the horizontal line of the T. Its not a large place, so easy enough to walk around…even with wooden sandals.
Staying in a traditional ryokan is a must here and will set the tone of your stay…the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn where the floors are tatami, the walls paper and the vibe oozing the land of the rising sun…it’s not a cheap experience and never before will you have paid so much money to sleep on the floor, but it is so worth it.
We stayed at Tsukimotoya Ryokan that was tucked away at the top of the T, just round the corner from the onsen. Leaving your shoes at the door your host will show you to your room, suitably (un)furnished (the beds are packed away during the day so there will just be a low table and even lower chairs)
overlooking a perfectly manicured garden; you can change into your yukata…both for indoors and also with an outdoor jacket for you to explore the onsen in, you will also get your pass to enter all the onsen of the town…from here you can then totter off in your wooden sandals
and start immersing yourself in the miracle waters of the town.
Each onsen is unique, some basic with just one pool, some more elaborate with a whole complex of baths, but they will all follow the format of men on one side and women on the other (the side is alternated each day so that you get to see both sides).
Bathing is done naked…something that Matt and his English sensitivities struggle with, but you do get a little towel (and we mean little) to cover some modesty. Cover up tattoos as they are frowned upon in Japan, and especially not liked in onsen.
If you go during a weekday, you’ll pretty much have the place to yourselves. For us we wanted to see and try all the different onsen:
Satono-yu, the largest and our favourite, just by the train station with multiple onsen inside. Just outside is a public foot spa that you can dip your feet in whilst waiting For the train.
Jizo-yu, with its high ceilings; Yanagi-yu, the smallest but traditionally wooden in style;
Ichino-yu, a cave format where you can eavesdrop on the other side of the divide;
Goshono-yu, the imperial baths with an outdoor waterfall; Mandara-yu, with a beautiful outdoor bath;
Kono-yu, also outdoor surrounded by forests, perfect for the evening.
After a hard afternoon of immersing yourself in the hot springs you can look forward to a wonderful dinner in the room of your ryokan. Make sure that when you are booking your place to stay, that they offer in room dinner…
This is no simple Hilton room service affair but rather an almost endless selection of beautifully-made (and tasting) dishes that you get to enjoy at your own pace, dressed in your yukata and feeling like royalty.
Once you are done with dinner, take an evening stroll along the river and perhaps a quick bath in one or two of the onsen!
Kinosaki also has a ropeway (cable car) that will whisk you up to the top of mount Taishi for views over the town and all the way to the sea of Japan (if you are lucky).
After enjoying the view, you can hike back down to Onsenji Temple, where the original hot spring pilgrims would first journey to and prey before visiting the baths.
Getting back down into the town, have one or two last dips in these soothing waters before heading back to the big city on the slow train, relax and enjoy!
