After walking in the mysterious Kyoto for 4 days, it was time to step into the real Japanese tradition, sampling the classic onsen experience. The Limited Express brings you from Kyoto to Kinosaki: in 2 hours and a half you will feel the tradition and the culture of old Japan in this quaint little onsen town.
The town is picturesque, with preserved traditional architecture, a river lined with cherry trees and people wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Kinosaki Onsen is the most famous spa resorts in Japan, counting seven onsen (that is Japanese for hot spring), where the original temperature of the spring water exits the source at about 80°C and it is said to have a variety of health benefit, it relaxes muscles and accelerate the metabolism and the mineral elements (sodium, calcium and chloride) can be absorbed by the body leading to healthy improvements.
We were the only westerner around, it was like we were on a movie set: Japanese people were walking around while wearing yukata, the traditional Japanese cloth, and the geta style wooden sandals, strolling from one onsen to the other one.
For our overnight, of course we choose to stay at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn! We booked our stay at Morizuya, simply amazing! They offered us an authentic Japanese style accommodation and a top-notch Kaiseki dinner served in the privacy of our tatami flooring room: a 15-course dinner highlighting the unique texture, colors and flavors of seasonal ingredients and local specialties (fresh sashimi, soup, grilled meat and fish, hot-pot dish, rice, miso soup, dessert and sake). The day after, the breakfast was just amazing as dinner was, a little bit too authentic for being breakfast!
Place i like:
Visit Kinosai | tourism website of Toyooka City hall | www.visitkinosaki.com
Morizuya | traditional Japanese ryokan | www.morizuya.com
West Japan railway company | www.westjr.co.jp