Hyōgo · Arima Onsen
Arima Onsen Tosen Goshobo
有馬温泉 陶泉 御所坊
A historic ryokan in Kita Ward, Kobe - said to be the oldest inn in Arima Onsen, founded in the Kamakura period. Beloved by literary figures including Junichiro Tanizaki, the interior retains a retro Showa-era atmosphere. The bath uses a distinctive semi-mixed style: changing rooms are separate, but the tubs connect, letting couples talk without seeing one another (the turbid gold water hides the body). The water is Arima's famous iron-rich, reddish-brown kinsen spring, enjoyed 100% free-flowing with no heating or added water. Day bathing runs 11:00-14:00 at 2,250 yen (face towel included; bath towel rental 300 yen), closed Mondays and on facility closure days. About 4-5 minutes on foot from Arima Onsen Station on the Kobe Electric Railway. Pair it with the Kin-no-Yu and Gin-no-Yu public baths to touch 1,300 years of Arima history.
- Price (adult)
- ¥2,250
- Hours
- 11:00-14:00
- Closed
- Mondays (plus facility closure days)
- Access
- 858 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo (postal code 651-1401). About 4-5 minutes on foot from Arima Onsen Station (Kobe Electric Railway), 1 minute from the Hankyu Bus Arima Bus Center. By car, use paid lots around Arima Onsen. Tel 078-904-0551.
- Water type
- Iron spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Phone
- 078-904-0551
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Arima Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Arima's oldest inn, founded in the Kamakura period; a retro hall loved by Tanizaki and other literati
- Semi-mixed bathing where men's and women's tubs connect; iron-rich brown kinsen, 100% free-flowing
- Day bathing 11:00-14:00, 2,250 yen with face towel; closed Mondays & closure days; 4-5 min from the station
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- There is a mixed-gender area. Check the description for bathing garments and women-only hours.
- Ryokan day-use hours are limited and may be suspended in peak season — phone the same morning.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Who with
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-10 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Gosho-no-Yu (Kinosaki outer bath)
The most popular of Kinosaki's seven public baths. In a building modeled on the Kyoto Imperial Palace, a waterfall rotenburo faces the hillside and a glass-roofed 'sky bath' sits indoors, all renovated in 2020. Overnight guests get free entry with the 'Yumepa' pass, so evenings are busy with yukata-clad bathers — go at 7 am when it opens.
Kin-no-Yu
The public bathhouse of Arima, one of Japan's three oldest hot springs. For ¥800 you can soak in the 'kinsen' — iron- and salt-rich water that turns rusty brown on contact with air, in pools at 42°C and 44°C. Under an hour by train from Kobe or Osaka, so an easy day trip. Free foot bath and drinking fountain outside. No tattoos.
Ichi-no-Yu (Kinosaki outer bath)
Kinosaki's flagship outer bath, praised as 'the best under heaven' by an Edo-period physician. Its cave bath carved into rock is the draw; the kabuki-theatre-style building is the town's landmark.
