A Luxury Experience at Nishimuraya Honkan in Kinosaki Onsen

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A Luxury Stay at Nishimuraya Honkan

One experience you should have while in Japan is staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan or inn. One of the best places to enjoy a ryokan stay is Kinosaki Onsen, which is a quick trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Kinosaki Onsen will give you a luxurious traditional experience complete with kaiseki dining, onsen soaking, and enjoying a quaint town stroll in yukata.

As denoted by the name, Kinosaki is the onsen district of the city of Toyooka, Japan. Onsen are traditional Japanese hot springs, that are fed by natural hot springs ranging in temperature and offering a variety health benefits. Kinosaki Onsen has been regarded as one of the best onsen towns in Japan, with over 1,400 years of onsen history!

On our first visit to Kinosaki Onsen, we stayed at Nishimuraya Honkan which is one of Kinosaki Onsen’s most luxurious ryokan which is the main focus of this post. However, if you are looking for other places to stay in Kinosaki Onsen or more things to do in Kinosaki Onsen, check out this post.

How to Get to Kinosaki Onsen

From Osaka: Take the JR Kounotori line from Shin-Osaka station to Kinosaki Onsen Station (estimated time: 2h 50min)

From Kyoto: Take the JR Kinosaki Limited Express line from Kyoto station to Kinosaki Onsen Station (estimated time: 2h 45min)

From Tokyo: Take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen (Hikari or Kodama if using the JR pass) from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station no later than 10:30AM in order to reach Kinosaki Onsen before 4:00PM. From Shin-Osaka station take the JR Kounotori line to Kinosaki Onsen Station (estimated time: 5-6h).

After you arrive, Nishimuraya Honkan has a complimentary shuttle bus that will pick you up from Kinosaki Onsen Station and take you directly to the ryokan. Just be sure to contact them ahead of time to let them know your approximate time of arrival so they can be ready for you.

Our Stay at Nishimuraya Honkan

Exterior of Nishimuraya Honkan in Kinosaki Onsen

With a history of over 150 years, Nishimuraya Honkan is a luxurious ryokan with onsite and in room onsen, exquisite kaiseki dining, beautiful private gardens, gift shop with local goods, and an onsite town historical museum.

Front desk and entrance to Nishimuraya Honkan.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff of Nishimuraya Honkan at Kinosaki Onsen’s train station where staff collected our bags and drove us on their shuttle bus to the ryokan. When we got to the ryokan, we checked in with a staff member who arranged our meal times and other additional on-site experiences we wanted to enjoy.

Interior at Nishimuraya Honkan

Sitting area of Nishimuraya Honkan — A small sitting area at Nishimuraya Honkan with agarden view.

After checking in, we were shown around the ryokan before visiting our room. The lobby of Nishimuraya Honkan has many seating areas to relax and a cozy bar area that was available to all guests. The lobby area is located just next to the hotel gift shop which is a great place to look for a souvenir for yourself or someone you are wanting to buy for.

Most Japanese ryokan pride themselves on providing guests with the ability to purchase or look at local goods and traditional crafts, therefore having a gift shop inside a ryokan is extremely common. In the gift shop at Nishimuraya Honkan there are beautiful linens, pottery pieces, fans, chopsticks, and edible goods that are all available for purchase in the gift shop each with their own story and historical significance.

After settling in our room, we decided to continue exploring the rest of the hotel. One of our first stops was the museum which features a collection of paintings, photographs, and artifacts from the past history of Nishimuraya Honkan as well as the town of Kinosaki Onsen. The museum is small but worth visiting to have a better understanding of the history of the hotel and town.

READ MORE: Things to Do in Kinosaki Onsen

The Gardens at Nishimuraya Honkan

Something else that is very special and unique to Nishimuraya Honkan is its on-site gardens. The gardens are perfectly manicured and very tranquil to spend time in. In fact, we spent a lot of time during our stay at Nishimuraya Honkan walking around the gardens, watching the koi fish swimming, and sitting on one of the outdoor benches enjoying the weather.

Our Room with Private Onsen at Nishimuraya Honkan

Since we first visited Kinosaki Onsen on one of our first trips to Japan, we wanted to have a day of relaxation between all our days of heavy travel. We knew that staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan was the perfect way to do so! We elected to splurge on a room with a private garden and onsen so we wouldn’t have to book specific times to enjoy a private onsen and add to the romance of staying in an onsen town. But there is an onsen that is public for hotel guests to enjoy at any time as well as many public onsen available in town.

View of the garden area and open-air bath from the living space in the Hatsune Room at Nishimuraya Honkan. — View of the garden area and open-air bath from the living space of our room at Nishimuraya Honkan.

If you are looking to have an experience of ultimate luxury and romance, we definitely recommend staying in a room with a private onsen. We stayed in the Hatsune room with an open-air bath which was quite spacious and had an on-suite private bathroom, large vanity including toiletries (common in Japanese hotels), and an outdoor shower.

Bathroom vanity of the Hatsune Room at Nishimuraya Honkan Ryokan.

Small kitchenette area and mini fridge next to the toilet area of the Hatsune Room at Nishimuraya Honkan

Nishimuraya Honkan also provided us with Yukata to wear while we were out in town or to wear while relaxing in our room. In the evening after dinner, the table and chairs are removed for turn down service and the futon beds were placed on the floor and fluffed.

The summer yukata the staff laid out for us to wear around the town of Kinosaki Onsen. — The summer yukata the staff laid out for us to wear around the town.

Kaiseki Dining at Nishimuraya Honkan

During our stay at Nishimuraya Honkan, we elected to have traditional Japanese meals in the form of Kaiseki dining. Kaiseki is a multi-course dinner that often features small portioned, artistically arranged seasonal dishes.

Overall, we found the food to be wonderful and such a unique dining experience! I’ve been able to enjoy a number of other kaiseki meals since I visited Nishimuraya Honkan but this meal is still quite memorable to me. We started off with a small appetizer of sweet shrimp, sushi, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette), and sazae (turban sea snail). This was followed by a small plate of fresh sashimi and a crab soup. Then a hot plate with a selection of seasonal meats, seafood, and vegetables to grill and hot pot with vegetables, fish, and local beef. Dessert was a hojicha gelatin with fresh fruit and green tea.

A hot pot with seasonal fish, vegetables, and meat.

Breakfast was also a kaiseki-style. Our seasonal breakfast came with a soft boiled onsen egg, grilled fish, chirimen jako (young salted dried sardines or anchovies, soft tofu, congee (rice porridge), miso soup, and other small vegetable side dishes and pickles.

READ MORE: Dining Guide for Japan

Other Information for Nishimuraya Honkan

Address: Japan, 〒669-6101 Hyogo, Toyooka, Kinosakicho Yushima, 469 西村屋本館
Cost of rooms: 45000 JPY – 55000 JPY/night (check current rates)

Kinosaki Onsen, Japan — Walking through the streets in Kinosaki Onsen.

While our first visit to a Kinosaki Onsen was brief, we enjoyed every moment of this beautiful town and our experience at Nishimuraya Honkan.

A Luxury Stay At Nishimuraya Honkan in Kinosaki Onsen, Japan

A Luxury Stay at Nishimuraya Honkan

How to Get to Kinosaki Onsen