Kinosaki is a hot springs town on the western shore of the main island of Japan. As in Tamatskuri, the last hot springs town we stayed in, a small river wound its way through the center of this town, crisscrossed many times with sturdy stone bridges and lined with small willowy green trees. The roads are narrow and crowded with storefronts, restaurants, and hotels clustered together. The architecture of these buildings is pleasant and traditional.

The town boasts seven public onsens where visitors can enjoy the area’s natural hot spring waters. Even on the side of the road there are areas set up where pedestrians can sit on low benches and soak their feet in onsen foot-baths.

On the edge of this small town, you can take a ropeway to the top of a Mt. Daishi to gain a lovely view of the town and surrounding area, including other densely wooded green mountains as well as the Maruyama river as it flows into the nearby Sea of Japan. Unlike at Mt. Misen, we did not have to hike very far after disembarking from the ropeway to get our view. Instead, we simply had to climb up a few flights of stairs to the roof of the building. Near this building is a small shrine, which we visited before going back down the mountain on the ropeway. At the top of the ropeway is a small cafe that we were planning on getting some dongo for a snack while we enjoyed the view. Unfortunately there was construction going on in the cafe and part of the station as well, so the cafe was closed during our visit.

The town itself has an abundance of delicious food to eat. Some of their specialties include crab and tajima beef. On our first afternoon there, we had a late lunch at a sushi restaurant called Tomiya. We had some unagi nigiri and a fantastic rice bowl with tajima beef on top. The beef was well-marbled and absolutely delicious.

Visitors are encouraged to don yukatas and walk around to enjoy the town, whether by visiting shops and restaurants or the many public onsens. Our ryokan even offered a complimentary pass to those public onsens. There’s plenty of other places to stop at too. We did get some ice cream and visit a nearby yukata shop.

We were only in Kinosaki for one afternoon and night, then we left the next morning. With the nearby sea and abundant greenery, Kinosaki is a beautiful small town that feels cozy and relaxing. We’d love to go back and be able to spend more time wandering the town’s streets, relaxing in the onsens, and sampling more of their delicious food!

Google Maps Link: Kinosaki