On September 29, we boarded the train for Kinosaki. By early afternoon, we were strolling around in town, crossing over on the stone bridges and the Maruyama River to wait for our room. We stayed at the Mikiya Ryokan, about a 11-minute walk from the train station.

The Ryokan Experience

Staying in a ryokan is one of my favourite experiences in Japan. These are traditional inns that offer tatami rooms with futon beds, local cuisine, and Japanese-style bathrooms. Many of these are family-run and has been for hundreds of years. I prefer the smaller ones, even though oftentimes English is not as widely spoken. We didn’t rely on tech so much back in 2015. Nowadays, in 2025, there are countless translation apps and options.

We stayed at Mikiya, which is a very old ryokan. From our conversation with the staff at dinner, we learned it was 300+ years old. (It was built in the Edo period, which is 1600 to 1868 and rebuilt in 1927 two years after an earthquake had damaged it.) I asked as I got a strange feeling in our room.

I was surprised when we entered the ryokan. My sister found this place for us and I didn’t look into it before the trip. The interior was contemporary with modern furnishings from its recent renovation in 2013. The lobby combines Eastern and Western elements, with a minimalist sofa in the reading room and two wooden rocking chairs looking out to a Japanese Garden. My Dad enjoyed sitting in these chairs and being outside on the patio that looks out to the azaleas. I captured several photos of him, now treasured momentos, while we waited to check into our room.

We had booked two upstairs room and we got switched to one large ground-floor room. It was one of the few Western/Japanese rooms in the inn. My parents took the Western-style bed and we had the futon bedding which I love and prefer. These are set up for you after dinner and put away while you are at breakfast in the dining room.

Dining at Mikiya

Part of the ryokan experience is the dining. Each stay includes both dinner and breakfast. Dinner is a kaiseki meal, each one bringing together fresh and local ingredients. So we don’t know quite what we will be having ahead of time. I am primarily vegetarian and our multi-course dinner was filling. My family ate the meat from my dinner and I was served fish. As you can see from the spread, it’s quite a diversity of dishes.

The Onsen Experience

We decided to go for our onsen experience in town before dinner. Our parents declined, preferring to stay in for a rest and to visit Mikiya’s indoor bath, installed in the 1950s.

So the three of us donned our yukata and geta or the wooden clogs. These took some getting used to, especially since I prefer to be barefoot. With the free onsen pass from the ryokan and a little bag of personal items, we headed to our first onsen. The Yumepa or pass allows unlimited entry to all seven bathhouses until check-out time at your lodgings. The passes can also be purchased at the onsen.

As each hot spring offers something different, we wanted to try all the ones that were opened. A few were closed during our visit. Yanagi-yu, for example, has the hottest water. It took my sister and me some time to adjust and enter into the bath.

So we continued on our “pilgrimage” after dinner. The onsen bathhouses close at various times, so check that out and plan ahead. Be sure to include a nighttime stroll. Kinosaki at night is beautifully lit up with the lamps along the canal. The onsens and most shops open late into the night. And just the sight and obvious happiness of everyone strolling in their yukata was special.

After returning to Mikiya around 10PM, I decided to investigate the ryokan’s own indoor bathing facilities. Like the rest of the hotel design, it was modern, minimalist, and very pleasing, while keeping history and tradition alive.

7 onsens bathhouses Kono-yu | Mandara-yu | Goshono-yu | Ichino-yu | Yanagi-yu | Jizo-yu | Santono-yu

☞ The official Visit Kinosaki website has a “Bathhouse Crowd Status” – in use and unoccupied % for each

It was a busy time both before and after dinner. Every onsen bathhouse we visited was rather full. We left our sandals by the door, got a locker key, and went our way to the men’s and women’s. After disrobing and modestly covering ourselves with a small towel, we headed to the bathing stations to rinse off and investigate each of the hot spring. We then waited outside for each other as my brother went to a separate part of the bathhouse.

Even though it was not our first onsen experience and we are familiar with the etiquette, it was still daunting to find our way around in such busyness, among people who do this as part of their daily/regular ritual, and adjust to each bathhouse. Kinosaki was a great experience all in all.

Onsen Etiquette

I was surprised when years ago I went to an onsen I saw all these signs forbidding the entry of anyone with tattoos. All the onsen in Kinosaki allow tattoos, which is rather uncommon in Japan. So yes it’s a thing.

The bath is for relaxation and healing, as in the case with onsen and its mineral content. Before entering, we spend time at the individual “showers” on little stools to rinse off the day’s dirt and grime. Shampoo and soap are provided so you can wash your hair here. The important thing is to completely rinse off the soap and shampoo from your body and your towel. And not to submerge the towel in the bath.

Kinosaki’s History

Kinosaki was founded in 720 AD and references to the hot spring source where today Mandara-Yu is can be found in historical documents. Mandara, meaning “enlightened mind”, is the town’s first onsen, its waters believed to have come after a priest prayed for 1,000 days as instructed by an oracle.

Legend also has it that another source of healing waters helped an Oriental White Stork recover after bathing in it. This is now the “Oriental White Stork Hot Spring Bath” or Kono-Yu, another one of the sacred seven onsen in Kinosaki. A symbol of happiness and good luck, the Oriental White Stork is a national treasure of Japan and according to Japan Times, the last wild disappeared in 1971 and the last one in captivity in 1986. In 1989, the breeding program that started with wild chicks from then-USSR had its first success. They began to release the birds back into the wild in 2005, thereby bringing back the Oriental White Stork. Now they number in the hundreds.

Getting to Kinosaki

Kinosaki is located in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture. JR Kinosaki Onsen Station is about 3 hours from Osaka and 2.5 hours from Kyoto on JR Limited Express. If you’re travelling from Tokyo, you can either fly or take the Shinkansen to Osaka or Kyoto for the train to Kinosaki.

You can also get there by bus and if you are driving, it’s about 2.5 hours from Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe.

From Itami Airport in Osaka, you can also catch a flight to the Kounotori Tajima Airport (about 1/2 hour) which is connected to Kinosaki by shuttle (about 40 minutes).

Whatever way you choose, Kinosaki is easily accessible, making it a great option for an overnight trip or even for the day. If you stay longer, consider visiting the surrounding areas.

More info Visit Kinosaki | Mikiyuniya (Japanese) | Mikiyuniya Ryokan (English)| JR West | Zentan Bus

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