Amanohashidate and Kinosaki Onsen

The Otani River flows through the heart of Kinosaki, lined with willows and stone bridges. At the very center of this atmospheric resort town lies Nishimuraya Honkan.

Six generations — over 160 years since its founding. The story began in the Ansei era of the Edo period, when the founder Saei Nishimura opened a small inn at the foot of Daishiyama. In the early Meiji era, the third generation acquired Kinosaki Jinya and established the ryokan. The majestic gates have been preserved since those times. The founding family served as village elders for generations, and the history of the inn is closely intertwined with the history of the town. Although the main building was lost during the Great Kita-Tajima Earthquake in 1925, the fourth generation, believing that “as long as the hot springs flow, Kinosaki will surely be reborn,” led the town’s restoration. The inn was rebuilt the following year, and for six generations has carefully preserved the spirit of Japanese hospitality.

The finest traditional ryokan in the San’in region. Passing through the elegant main gates, you are greeted by a subtle fragrance, and beyond the large windows unfolds a Japanese garden like a painting. There are just over 30 rooms, each overlooking the garden and imbued with refined Japanese aesthetics. In 2016, Nishimuraya Honkan became a member of Relais & Châteaux.

A masterpiece of sukiya architecture: “Hiratakan” The Hiratakan annex is a masterpiece created in 1960 by the eminent sukiya architect Masaya Hirata. The main gates, exterior walls, the grand hall “Senrei-no-ma,” and Hiratakan itself are listed as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

Baths The spring is a mildly saline bromide water. “Kichi-no-Yu,” filled with the scent of cypress, and “Fuku-no-Yu,” with striking Chinese-style walls, alternate between men and women in the morning and evening. *To conserve Kinosaki’s resources, private open-air baths in guest rooms use regular hot water. Natural thermal baths are available in the large public and private baths.

Kaiseki cuisine reflecting the bounty of Tajima’s mountains and sea. Each dish is carefully prepared from local ingredients such as Matsuba crab, Tajima beef, and “Kounotori” rice. Breakfast and dinner are generally served in your room (depending on the season and plan, meals may be arranged in the dining hall).

Please note: the inn where literary master Naoya Shiga wrote “At Kinosaki” is another historic ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen, “Mikiya.” Kinosaki has long been beloved by writers, and we can also arrange a literary walk through the town for you.