December 31, 2012
Kinosaki, Japan
When visiting Japan, a side trip to Kinosaki-Onsen is a must! I anticipated that we will be needing a break from our 8-day vacation so I scheduled our visit on our 4th day.
Kinosaki-Onsen* is the biggest hot spring resort in Hyogo. It is a 3-hour train ride to total bliss.
We boarded the 9:04 am Limited Express Kounotori train from Shin-Osaka
to Kinosaki-Onsen. We arrived as scheduled (11:51am). Unfortunately, we
were not allowed to check-in at Shinonomesou until 2 in the afternoon.
Jizou Yu Onsen is one of the seven sotoyu
Kinosaki-Onsen is a place which has seven sotoyu*, a hot spring water drinking spot and a foot bath facility. If you check-in with one of the ryokan*, a tour of the seven sotoyu is already included with your board and lodging fee. Wearing the traditional yukata* and geta*, you can go around this quaint town to enjoy the indoor and outdoor public baths.
*Onsen means hot spring
*Sotoyu is a public hot spring bath facilities
*Ryokan is a traditional Japanese style inn
*Yukata is a casual cotton kimono
*Geta is a traditional wooden Japanese footwear like clogs
Read more after the break....
McDonald's breakfast to-go
oh, hello Happy Meal!
a sneak peek inside the train
my breakfast- Chicken McNuggets and Barbecue Sauce
DH's Sausage McMuffin with Egg
JR-West Rail Pass Kansai Wide Area Pass
All good things must come to an end. The day we went to Kinosaki was the last day we could use our JR-West Rail Pass Kansai Wide Area Pass. We bought it for only JPY 7,000 (PhP 3,500) each. With it, we were able to access Kansai-airport Express Haruka to Shin-Osaka, go to Kyoto and back plus we get to experience a bullet train ride called Shinkansen to Kobe. It was all worth it!
it's starting to snow!
our train to Kinosaki
train tracks
those white specks are flurries
view from the station- the quaint town of Kinosaki
We passed by a market place going to our inn and here's what we saw...
giant winter crab called Kanisuki
Yes, that is the crab's price per piece. Ask your ryokan to include kanisuki with your meal... we did!
fish JPY 21,000 (PhP 10,500)
Jozouyu Bridge
should include this in funny signs: wada-ya
cute kids in their Yukata
landmark is this crab restaurant in front of the inn
Shinonomesou
We left our luggage with the reception staff. We were informed to come back at 2 pm.
we ate in the restaurant with the smaller crab sign ; p
vending machine for orders
food stubs
full house restaurant
tempura JPY 800 (PhP 400)
grilled squid JPY 500 (PhP 250)
After having our lunch, we went for a walk and passed by the largest spa in Kinosaki...
public foot soak facility within Satono Yu Spa
For people who are always on the go, you can visit Satono Yu Onsen. It is just right beside the train station.
Tajima gyu-man JPY 300 (PhP 150)
Kinosaki kani-man JPY 300 (PhP 150)
Hyogo is well-known for its Tajima beef so order Tajima gyu-man. Kinosaki kani-man is malansa... ack!
leaving you with this colorful photo I took from Kinosaki
In my next entry, I will feature our ryokan, Shinonomesou. Stay tuned!
You can view the 3-part Kyoto adventure here, here and here. To view where we stayed during our 8-day stint in Japan, visit here. Interested where we dine on our first night in Osaka? Then read here. Intrigued about the ultimate camera I bought from Canon? View from this link. My Shinkansen (Japan Bullet Train) experience here. Must visit place, Weathercock Mansion here. Hungry in Kobe? Eat at Steak Land for authentic Kobe Beef. Or visit Mitsui Outlet Park in Marine Pia Kobe for some outlet shopping.
Discover a town called Kinosaki and its 7 onsen.
You can view the 3-part Kyoto adventure here, here and here. To view where we stayed during our 8-day stint in Japan, visit here. Interested where we dine on our first night in Osaka? Then read here. Intrigued about the ultimate camera I bought from Canon? View from this link. My Shinkansen (Japan Bullet Train) experience here. Must visit place, Weathercock Mansion here. Hungry in Kobe? Eat at Steak Land for authentic Kobe Beef. Or visit Mitsui Outlet Park in Marine Pia Kobe for some outlet shopping.
Discover a town called Kinosaki and its 7 onsen.
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