There are a few rules to know before you go: Each onsen has separate male and female baths, and most ryokans offer a pass to enter the public onsens on a complimentary basis. Though some offer bath products, be sure to pack your favorite soap and a towel in a basket tote provided to you by your ryokan. Before you enter the onsen, it’s compulsory to remove all clothing and shower in the bathing section. Once you’re fully rinsed off, you can enjoy the hot spring baths for as long as you like.

Here, your guide to the ultimate stay in Kinosaki, Japan’s most luxurious, under-the-radar onsen town.

Where to Stay

Nishimuraya Honkan

This traditional Relais & Châteaux property is the most luxurious ryokan in Kinosaki and has been in the same family for 7 generations since it first opened in 1860 (and was later rebuilt after a devastating earthquake and fire swept the town nearly 100 years ago). With its lush Japanese gardens and ponds filled with red-and-yellow spotted koi fish, the 34-room Nishimuraya Honkan—built in suikya style like the country’s traditional tea houses—offers plush tatami-floor suites with sliding paper window doors that open to wooden terraces, some with heated bamboo floors leading to private open-air baths. With two on-property onsen baths and a bevy of gardens, don’t miss a tour through the hotel’s private art gallery, which traces the historical roots of Kinosaki and includes donated artifacts like an actor’s kabuki makeup kit and ancient samurai armor.