It’s no secret that Aussies love Japan. We chase the cherry blossoms, queue for ramen at the counter and tick off the Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trifecta, often more than once. It’s a trip that gives you neon, temples and street food in one glorious, whirlwind loop. But if your last visit left you craving something slower, a little more soul and a lot more soak, there’s a region just beyond the well-trodden path that deserves a spot on your itinerary.
Meet Hyogo. Within easy reach of Osaka and Kyoto, this prefecture is home to three distinct hot spring destinations, and offers one of Japan’s strongest combinations of historic onsen towns, centuries-old ryokans and distinctive stays. You don’t need to venture far off the established routes to find it, which makes it an ideal 2–3-night addition to your next Japan adventure. Swap the crowds and the rush for steaming waters, tatami mats and unhurried time. Think of it as the pause button your itinerary didn’t know it needed.
Arima Onsen: 1,400 Years of Soaking, Just Outside the City
Arima is one of Japan’s Three Oldest Spas, and it’s a 40-minute train ride from downtown Kobe or just over an hour by express bus from Osaka Umeda. It’s also one of the country’s rare non-volcanic hot spring resorts. The town has two distinct springs: the golden Kinsen and the silvery Ginsen. Wander its aged machiya townhouses, shrines, temples, cafes and restaurants, and even sample a natural carbonated spring. Tucked into the foothills of the Rokko mountains, it’s close to the city yet remote in feel, so you can pair a traditional onsen stay with time in Kobe or Osaka.
Kinosaki Onsen: The Town That’s Basically One Big Ryokan
About two and a half hours from Kyoto Station on the JR Kinosaki limited express, Kinosaki runs on a charming idea: the whole town is one ryokan. The station is the entrance, the streets are corridors, the inns are rooms and the public baths are bathing halls. Those bathhouses, known as sotoyu, date back more than 1,300 years and each carries its own atmosphere and legends. The way to experience them is bath-hopping in yukata and geta, with cafes, craft shops and shrines to duck into in between. Kinosaki is also tattoo-friendly, which makes bath-hopping accessible for international travellers who might otherwise think twice.
Awaji Island: The Oceanfront Reset
For a different kind of retreat, head to Awaji Island. Long known as Miketsukuni, the land that supplied food to Japan’s Imperial Court, it has been feeding the capital for centuries. And many properties still cook with ingredients grown on the island itself. Come hungry for Awaji beef, Awaji onions, conger eel and fugu. Stays here lean into privacy and space – and range from villas with open-air baths to oceanfront suites and forest cabins, all with a proper reset for body and mind.
Where to stay
Arima Onsen
Gosho Bessho
Ten detached private villas sit in the forest. Each a stand-alone stay with its own onsen, on the former site of Kiyomizu-dera. The property has welcomed overseas visitors since the Meiji era. Dining is sankaryori, or mountain house cuisine, rooted in satoyama food culture and Hyogo’s seasonal ingredients, prepared with refined Western technique. The buildings, furniture and interiors were created by artist Kosuke Watanuki of Muhan-an.
Tosen Goshobo
With around 800 years of history, this ryokan has welcomed poets, warlords and novelists over the centuries. And traces of those connections remain on the property today. Inside, you’ll find timeless Japanese architecture, where tatami mats, shoji screens, a Japanese garden, calligraphy and classical poetry are distilled into a single, serene space. Its interiors were curated by Kosuke Watanuki, the artist behind sister property Gosho Bessho.
Kinzan
A luxury ryotei ryokan that pairs teahouse architecture with seasonal kaiseki. Guest rooms follow sukiya-zukuri design, drawing on tearoom aesthetics and wabi-sabi. At the private ryotei Hanakaido, Kyoto-style kaiseki is matched to the season. Each guest attendant serves only two parties a day, up to six guests in total. So, the service is as personal as it gets.
Arima Grand Hotel (Bessho Yura) – main feature image.
Every room on the 2nd and 7th floors has its own open-air bath fed by natural hot springs. Guests on those floors also get a dedicated elevator, check-in counter and club lounge.
Kinosaki Onsen
Nishimuraya Honkan
More than 160 years of ryokan hospitality, known in Japan as omotenashi. The annex Hirata-kan, designed by sukiya architecture master Masaya Hirata, wraps around the garden with a different view from every room. The property sits in stork conservation country. And, so guests can try Konottori Sodateru Kome, rice grown to help protect the birds.
Nishimuraya Shogetsutei
Wrapped in a 165,000-square-metre forest garden, Shogetsutei is a modern “Japanese resort”. Albeit one that carries forward more than 160 years of ryokan heritage. Expect a mix of traditional elements (tatami, onsen, Japanese cuisine) and modern comforts, including a spa. Three themed private spas each have their own open-air bath and ganbanyoku stone sauna. You get two contrasting experiences in one stay. Start with the lively bustle of Kinosaki’s onsen town and then indulge in the silence of the forest.
Mikiya Ryokan
This 300-year-old ryokan is where novelist Naoya Shiga, known as the god of the Japanese novel, once stayed and wrote At Kinosaki. It’s a rare three-storey wooden building registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property, with private reservable baths and kaiseki built around Tajima’s seasonal produce.
Awaji Island
Zenbo Seinei (image below).
Rooted in the Japanese culinary tradition of fermentation, the meals here are gentle on the body, with no animal products, flour, oil or refined sugar. Add zen and yoga practice surrounded by nature, in a facility designed by Shigeru Ban, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field’s highest honour.
Hotel New Awaji Villa Rakuen
Every room has an open-air bath with an ocean view, and the top-floor lounge, Tenjo no Sajiki, overlooks Osaka Bay and the Komoe coastline. Dinner is in-room kaiseki paired with local sake or champagne.
Awaji Hamarikyu Villa Takumi
Every room comes with a private open-air bath and a private terrace for sunset, and the cuisine is built on Awaji ingredients.
Grand Chariot Hokuto Shichisei 135°
A luxury glamping resort with standalone forest cabins built for stargazing and a strong focus on privacy. For the fans in your group, there are collaboration cabins with NARUTO, Dragon Quest and Hello Kitty.
