Arima onsen famous for the oldest onsen in Japan. Get to feel the old Japan and great nature!
July 29, 2017
Arima Onsen as one of the oldest 3 Onsen town in Japan
This is the most famous sightseeing spot in my town, so I always recommend my guests, came through couchsurfing, to visit here.
Located not far from central Kobe but in middle of north part of Mt.Rokko, has rich history. Since it appears in oldest Japanese history book over 1300 years ago, a lot of famous people in each ages such as Emperor, Shogun( it's the top of Samurai), novelist visited and stayed very often. There are about 30 hotels have each original own Onsen bath (by the way we call most of them Ryokan which is old Japanese style hotel). They are a little bit expensive as Japanese hotels but very popular especially for older people and a lot of people come and visit even now.
Also has some old town streets, shrine, temples and nature and famous as the place to see Sakura in spring season. You can feel and touch the old Japanese atmosphere and would enjoy it with great nature.
The history
He is Hideyoshi Toyotomi the important samurai in Japanese history. He is the first Daimyo( top of samurai) who succeed to rule all of Japan about 500 years ago. Arima Onsen is known well as the place he loved so much.
In 1580's, he visited Arima Onsen for the first time to relax after a big war to rule Japan, since then he loves this Onsen and he visited very often. Many of very famous people as same as Hideyoshi in each period love this Onsen and visited a lot.
Tosen-shrine is the guardian of Arima says that this Onsen was found by 2 Japanese Gods in ancient. The injured 3 crows were bathing in the puddle when 2 Gods visited Arima, then, they also found the 3 crows healed their injury with this water just in few days. It is said that this water was the Onsen.
Also we can see about Arima Onsen in the oldest Japanese history book, Nihon-shoki. This book says that two emperors visited this onsen in around 600's. This thing also made Arima famous in that period.
The Onsen
Arima has 2 unique onsen called "Kin-sen" meaning golden onsen and "Gin-sen" meaning silver onsen ( actually it means normal color) . Both have some effects for body and mind like skin beauty also good for skin troubles, heal your stress both mind and body, further to treat and improve some organ symptoms and some blood conditions by their materials included in onsen. The materials included onsen are, carbon dioxide spring, hydrogen carbonate spring (we aware it is soda), chloride spring, sulfate spring, iron spring, sulfur spring, acidity spring, radium spring, and simple spring consist of some low level materials. Most of hotels in Arima provide kind of the one day bath is meaning you can just take onsen for few hours without staying. Also, Arima has a free bath just for feet, we call it " foot bath ", it's one of "Kin-sen". You can have a bite the onsen feeling even only using this foot bath. Please note, you need a towel prepared by your self at here.
My recommendation one is GOSHOBO is a hotel. This is "Kin-sen" golden one. It has an atmosphere of Meiji period, it's about 100 years ago, you can feel like you were in that time. I don't have any pictures of inside of this hotel but I have visited once. At this onsen, You can see a kind of tunnel with onsen first, then you can go to main onsen through this interesting tunnel. The main onsen is like in a cave with some rocks, but half one is like on outside. I have visited various onsen in Japan a lot, but I think GOSHOBO style is not common so it's very interesting. This interesting Onsen is located close to enter side of Arima onsen town and it takes just 5 minute from the train station by walk.
Nature, Sakura
You can enjoy Arima's scenery in all seasons, but in Spring and Autumn are more great. There are a lot of Sakura in this town, along the river, at temples, at streets, also you can enjoy in night with Sakura lighted up.
In my case, we always visit in the night to see them and the temperature is also good to walk around.
Nature, Koyo
In autumn, you can enjoy the scenery of Koyo, means the leaves color changes from green to brown red, and Arima has a famous park with that.
The name is Zuihoji Park, this park seems has also Sakura but I think it's more famous for Koyo. There is a shop named "Momiji Cha-ya", it's a kind of old style Japanese cafe, will open in this season, and you can enjoy some Japanese traditional foods such as udon noodles, warm oden, Japanese sake.
Also, the "Ochakai", means to play old Japanese tea party with wearing Kimono in this case, will open usually between in November. You can feel the old Japan at here but this party is always full and crowded by older Japanese, in my imagine.
The streets
The streets consist of old traditional buildings. Most of those buildings are shops for souvenirs or foods. You can feel old Japanese atmosphere like you did time slip.
It's similar to Kyoto, but the streets are not big and long, the time passing very slowly. I like walking this streets while seeing the stuffs on those shops.
The most famous food as souvenir in here is Tansan-Senbei. Tansan is kind of soda and Senbei is the name of Japanese traditional sweets.
Arima Onsen is including the soda as one of their material, and this sweets is made with this soda, so named Tansan-Senbei. There are couple of types of Tansan-Senbei, like just plain one without any other materials,or with cream of some flavors, strawberry, chocolate, vanila, or little bit hard one with some sugars. By the way, My wife and I like "hard one" but my kids loves " with cream one".
Some other tips
Temples and Shrines
There are some temples and shrines as same as other sightseeing places of Japan. I am not interested in Japanese temples and shrines anymore, but each one has rich history so I think you would be able to enjoy them:) The most famous one is Tosen-shrine I mentioned in history category, this picture is not Tosen-shrine though. This shrine is the guardian of Arima onsen as the 2 Gods who find Arima onsen out and 3 crows they appeared in " the story of finding" are enshrined.
Mt.Rokko
Arima onsen is located in middle of Mt.Rokko so you can go to top of this mountain using Ropeway. There are some activity spots on top of Rokko like hotels, farm, play ground, restaurantes, cafes. From the top, you can see all of Kobe center.
Speaking of Mt.Rokko, here is famous for wild boars are living. I have seen them couple of times while I am driving, so if you visit there you might see wild boars there, even in Arima onsen town.
Access
There are 2 main route to get Arima onsen, from south or from north. From south, you take the subway bound to Tanigami from JR Sannomiya station which is central Kobe. At Tanigami station, change the train named Kobe dentetsu line bound for Sanda, further again change the train at Arima guchi station bound for Arima onsen. It takes 30 min totaly from Snnomiya station ,about.
From north, take the train , it's also Kobe dentetsu line bound for Shin-kaichi to the Arima guchi station, then transfer the train at there to Arima onsen station. It takes also 30 min in total. I think this one is easier if you come from Osaka, go to JR Sanda station first, then use this way.
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