[Hyogo] A relaxing solo trip to the coveted Kinosaki onsen. 7 ryokan that are easy to stay at even if you're traveling alone.

Kinosaki Onsen, located on the Sea of Japan side of Hyogo, is a famous onsen with a long history, said to have been open for 1300 years. In the onsen town, traditional inns are lined up along the Otani River, creating an atmosphere full of atmosphere. When you look through the willows at Taikobashi, the symbol of Kinosaki onsen, which spans the Otoshi River, you will feel a sense of relaxation. Away from your busy daily life, take a relaxing solo trip to Kinosaki onsen. Kinosaki onsen has many outdoor baths, so there are surprisingly many tourists.

There are no tall buildings in the entire onsen town of Kinosaki onsen, so the whole town looks very calm. If you take your time to look around onsen town in a yukata and geta, you will feel even more excited. Use your time freely and enjoy a solo trip. Just looking at the retro chic onsen town scenery will soothe your soul. Traveling alone without having to worry about your companions will allow you to relax both mentally and physically.

Kinosaki onsen is characterized by its outdoor baths. Each onsen inn has an indoor bath, but the best way is to enjoy the entire onsen town, including the seven outdoor baths. There are three outdoor baths: Sato-no-yu, Jizo-yu, Yanagi-yu, Ichi-no-yu, Gosho-no-yu, Mandara-yu, and Kono-yu, each with a different atmosphere and size. . You can easily spend a day or two just visiting the public baths, so we recommend staying overnight and visiting the public baths by yourself in the order you like.

*"Sato no Yu" is scheduled to close for a long time from April 2024 due to aging and other circumstances. Please check the official website for the latest information.

You can use each of the seven hot springs for a fee, but if you are traveling alone and want to spend your time however you like, we recommend the “Yumepa” ticket, which allows you to visit the hot springs as much as you want. Many hotels in Kinosaki onsen offer a free Yumepa when you stay, so be sure to check it out before your stay!

The hot water of Kinosaki is onsen that you can drink. There are several places to drink the hot springs, so you can enjoy onsen springs anywhere. It has a slightly salty, addictive taste. If you see one on your way to the hot springs, how about giving it a try?

The entire onsen town of Kinosaki onsen is very retro-chic. No matter where you shoot, you can take pictures of the scenery, so it is recommended for girls who like photography. If you are alone, you can go around the shooting spots you care about without worrying about your companion. Here are two particularly recommended photo spots.

"Kiyamachi-dori" is a back street located one block off the main street of Kinosaki onsen. From the Ohashi Bridge over the Otanigawa River to the front of the public bath "Mandarayu", there is a row of cherry blossom trees, perfect for the atmosphere of onsen town. It is also a spot where you can take nice pictures.

In Sanjusangen Hiroba on Kiya-dori, there is a fire wall called Hibusekabe. The wall with a modern design is stylish just by taking a picture of it. It is also a popular photo spot in Kinosaki onsen.

You can take wonderful pictures during the day, but the charm of Kinosaki onsen is that the atmosphere changes completely at night. If you are traveling alone, it is easy to adjust the time, and if you think of a photo opportunity, you can go out to shoot at any time.

Gosho no Yu is one of the seven public baths. The building looks just like the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and no matter where you look at it, it will look great on Instagram. It was reopened in 2020 and completely transformed into an open-air bath. With the back mountain as a backdrop, you can enjoy a onsen while feeling the nature of Tajima.

Gosho no Yu is also a photo spot where the atmosphere becomes even better at night. Since it is an open-air bath, of course you can take a bath. Pasha when visiting the hot springs at night! and shoot at the same angle as daytime. One of the pleasures of traveling alone is to go back to your inn and take a closer look at them.

Now, after enjoying taking pictures of the onsen town by yourself, walking around and drinking onsen, let's take a rest at the inn. This time, we will introduce inns that are easy to stay for a solo traveler, along with an open-air bath near the inn.

Kiraku is an old-fashioned onsen inn located in the center of the Kinosaki onsen town. The location is very good, so it's a perfect inn to visit the seven hot springs by yourself.

A purely Japanese-style room that will make you feel at ease. From the guest room, you can see the retro scenery that is typical of an old onsen town. If you get tired from touring the outdoor baths, you can sit down on a chair by the window and take a rest while relaxing and looking at the townscape of Kinosaki onsen.

Many of the meal are made with local ingredients, allowing you to enjoy the gourmet cuisine of Kinosaki. The mini Tajima beef steak and courses that focus on quality over quantity are perfect for women. This is an important point for solo travelers.

"Gosho no Yu" is an outdoor hot spring located a few minutes walk from Kiraku. It is a very open and very popular outdoor bath, so there may be a wait for bathing. If you're traveling alone, aim for your free time and take it easy.

Yanagisou-so is a small, cozy inn. It is characterized by its heartwarming hospitality. They respond to the needs of their guests in detail, so even solo travelers can have a comfortable stay. The inn is divided into three buildings, and you can choose the one you like: the main building with its Showa-era atmosphere, the annex "Kazan" recommended for those who prefer beds to futons, and the new annex "Tsuruki" in the style of a traditional Japanese house.

One of the reasons why there are many repeaters is that the food is delicious. The ingredients are extremely fresh, as the owner goes to the auction market to purchase them. Vegetables are also procured from farmers and vegetable auctions, and the seasonal delicious ones are carefully selected.

The pride of Yanagisou is the indoor bath. Many inns in Kinosaki onsen do not have onsen baths, but Yanagisou uses natural onsen. You don't need to make a reservation to use the private bath, so let's go in when it's free. One of the big advantages of traveling alone is that you can be flexible with your time.

Yanagiyu is an open-air bath located only about 60 meters from Yanagisou. Among the seven hot onsen, it is the smallest one, and the wooden building has an old-fashioned atmosphere. This is also a great photo spot.

Yanagiyu has two footbaths. Each of them faces the main street and back street of the outdoor bath, and the back street side is a little secret spot. If you are alone, we recommend taking a leisurely soak in the footbath on the side of the back street while enjoying the scenery.

“Hanamandara” is a Japanese-style inn located right next to Mandara no Yu. There are two inns on the premises, "Hana Noren" and "Hanajizouan," both of which are attractive because you can use Mandara no Yu like an indoor bath. If you are traveling alone, we recommend Hana Noren, which has only 8 rooms on the 100 tsubo site.

There are a wide variety of room types, including Japanese-style twin bed rooms, Western-style twin rooms, and Honma Japanese-style rooms. For solo travelers, we recommend the Japanese-modern rooms with king-size Simmons beds. There are also floor-type working chairs, so you can comfortably spend your time traveling while remote jobs.

This is the private bath "Rabbit Dance". It's very cute with a painting of a bird and beast caricature motif. Soak yourself in the hot water slowly.

“Mandara no Yu” is an open-air bath located right next to Hana Noren. onsen named after a great monk named Dochi Shonin who came to Kinosaki about 1300 years ago. It's a small open-air bath, so it's recommended for a relaxing soak by yourself. From the open-air bath, you can see the rich natural scenery of the back mountain.

Among the many retro onsen in Kinosaki Onsen, Kobayashiya has an outstanding atmosphere. The three-story wooden building has a chic atmosphere with its bengala paint, a traditional Japanese paint. The building was rebuilt after the Great Kitatan Earthquake in 1925, and was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2015.

The history of the inn is quite old, and the founder started his business as a chinaware merchant in Kinosaki during the Edo period. Although it was later converted into ryokan and is now run by the 11th generation, the inn still uses Izushiyaki, a traditional pottery from Hyogo. Enjoy to your heart's content the charm of Izushi ware, which is said to be the ultimate white porcelain.

The shoji screens made of Inshu washi paper give the interior a soft impression. Traditional Japanese paper, which has been handed down since the Heian period, is a valuable item designated as a national traditional craft. If you are traveling alone, you can thoroughly check the details of the inn and experience the goodness of a Japanese-style inn.

"Ichinoyu" is an open-air bath that can be seen across the Otani River from Kobayashiya. It is onsen with a history dating back to the Edo period, and was named "Ichinoyu" because it was called the best hot spring in the world. There is a cave bath in the hotel, and it looks like it was hollowed out of a rock. You can also enjoy the moist rustic atmosphere.

Ichinoyu is located almost in the center of Kinosaki onsen, making it an easy place to visit even if you are alone. Let's stop by while taking a walk along the river. There is also a footbath right next to it, so if you are short on time, it is recommended that you just take a dip in it.

Kawaguchiya Kinosaki Riverside Hotel is a onsen hotel located near the mouth of the Otanigawa River. A valuable hotel-type inn in Kinosaki onsen, where there are many old-fashioned Japanese-style ryokan. The big advantage is that you can easily use it even if you are traveling alone.

There is a private open-air bath on the top floor, and you can overlook the Maruyama River in front of you. This alone is a superb view that seems to blow away your fatigue. The bath is a microbubble, and you can expect a beautiful skin effect. Reservations are required for this private bath, so please make a request at check-in.

The building is equipped with a library lounge, a cafe, a souvenir shop, a yukata rental corner, a dry landscape garden, and more. Even on bad weather, you can spend a special time relaxing in the building wearing a colorful yukata.

“Sato no Yu” is an open-air bath located right next to Kinosaki onsen Station. As onsen near the station, it is one of the largest in Japan, and has a large public bath, an open-air bath, and a spacious rest area in a three-story building. The Maruyama River can be seen from the open-air bath, and you can relax in a dry sauna, which is rarely seen at Kinosaki onsen.

"Mikuniya" is an old onsen inn with a history of over 140 years in Kinosaki. The folk art-style exterior and the rickshaw at the entrance are landmarks. It's just a short walk from the station, so you don't have to worry about carrying heavy luggage.

This inn is also proud of its cuisine. We cook winter crabs, Tajima beef, and other ingredients that are unique to Kinosaki. White rice is pesticide-free from contract farmers. This is an inn recommended for solo travelers who want to enjoy gourmet food in Kinosaki.

There are four indoor baths in the hotel, all of which are onsen. Guests can reserve it for free, and there are no reservations or time restrictions. On days when you're tired from visiting the public baths, relax inside the inn.

"Jizoyu" is an open-air bath just across the Otani River from Mikuniya. This name comes from the fact that Jizo-sama once appeared from the source. It is said to be the most familiar open-air bath to the locals of Kinosaki, and its appeal is its friendliness. There are many customers who come by themselves, so this is the best outdoor bath for solo travelers.

"Tokiwa Bekkan" has a site area of 1,200 tsubo and is an inn with a beautiful spacious garden. Originally it was in the center of onsen town, but I want to make a garden! This is the reason why I moved to this discerning inn. After visiting the outdoor baths and returning to your room, relax and enjoy the view of the garden.

A two-story wooden guest room wing surrounds the garden, and there are only 23 guest rooms. Perfect for those traveling alone, the service is perfect for those itchy spots. Relax by yourself at the inn and relax to your heart's content.

Kinosaki is surrounded by mountains and the sea, and you can enjoy the bounty of nature. The rich flavors will warm your heart. You can enjoy in-room dining at your leisure, so it is recommended for solo travelers. You can also enjoy snow crab in the winter.

The closest outdoor bath to Tokiwa Bekkan is Konoyu. Kou no Yu is an open-air bath with a legend that a stork healed wounds on its feet. There is also an open-air bath surrounded by trees, and you can enjoy the atmosphere of Kinosaki, a onsen resort in the mountains.

There is a place to make onsen eggs nearby. Even one person can enjoy a fulfilling outdoor bath, such as eating an egg after taking a bath.

The best way to stay in the laid-back Kinosaki onsen is to spend time by yourself without worrying about time. It's the perfect destination for a solo traveler who can set up their own schedule. Once in a while, forget everything and enjoy onsen to your heart's content. Get rid of your fatigue and frustration and go home.