Arima Onsen

有馬温泉34°48′ N 135°15′ EOnsen town¥700, about CAD 6.30 or USD 4.40 (October 2026 rates)

Arima suits a half-day bath trip from Kobe or Osaka with two kinds of water in one town, and its trade-off is entry limits at both public baths on busy days.

Photo 663highland · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5 and others, credited in the gallery

Know before you bathe

Wash before you get in and keep towels out of the water. Either bath may limit entry when it fills.

Getting there

Kobe Electric Railway to Arima Onsen station. From Shin-Kobe the subway to Tanigami and the train via Arimaguchi take about 30 minutes; from Shin-Osaka the trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Sannomiya.

Arima Onsen sits on the north side of the Rokko range within Kobe, and the town calls itself the oldest onsen in Japan. Its water carries seven of the nine main components Japan's environment ministry lists for therapeutic springs. The town splits it into two kinds: Kinsen, heavy with iron and salt, and Ginsen, which holds carbonic acid or radon.

Kin no Yu, a city-run bathhouse, pipes in Kinsen and opens from 8:00. Gin no Yu runs Ginsen and opens at 9:00. A joint ticket for both costs ¥1,200, and a free foot bath stands beside Kin no Yu.

Worth knowing

Weekdays are cheaper: Kin no Yu drops to ¥650 and Gin no Yu to ¥550.
Check the Tuesday closures before you go; each bathhouse shuts on two Tuesdays a month.

The essentials

In Japanese: 有馬温泉(ありまおんせん)
Kind: Onsen town
Day visit: ¥700 per adult (2026), about CAD 6.30 or USD 4.40 (October 2026 rates)
Prices: Kin no Yu charges children ¥350 and Gin no Yu ¥300. The joint ticket for both bathhouses costs ¥1,200.
Hours: Kin no Yu opens 8:00 to 22:00 with last entry at 21:30 and closes on the second and fourth Tuesday. Gin no Yu opens 9:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:30 and closes on the first and third Tuesday. When a closing Tuesday is a holiday the bath opens and closes the next day instead. Both close on 1 January.
Closed: Kin no Yu: 2nd and 4th Tuesday; Gin no Yu: 1st and 3rd Tuesday; both 1 January
Water: Kin no Yu runs Kinsen, an iron and sodium chloride strong-salt hot spring. Gin no Yu runs Ginsen, carbonated and radium water; it recirculates the water and adds tap water only when the spring's flow drops. The water at Kin no Yu is not for drinking.
Spring types: iron-bearing sodium chloride spring, carbon dioxide spring, radioactive spring
Mixed bathing: No
Tattoos: Not published. The Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu pages publish no tattoo rule.
Address: 833 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1401 (Kin no Yu)
Website: Official site

Arima OnsenKobe

Quick answers about Arima Onsenよくある質問

What is the difference between Kinsen and Ginsen at Arima?

Kinsen is Arima's iron-rich salty spring, served at Kin no Yu. Ginsen is the town's carbonated and radium water, served at Gin no Yu.

How do I get to Arima Onsen from Osaka?

From Shin-Osaka take JR to Sannomiya, the Kobe subway to Tanigami and the Kobe Electric Railway via Arimaguchi to Arima Onsen. The trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Can you visit Arima Onsen without staying the night?

Yes. Arima Onsen sells day entry at ¥700 per adult (2026), about CAD 6.30 or USD 4.40 (October 2026 rates).

How much does Arima Onsen cost?

Prices at Arima Onsen start at ¥700 per adult (2026), about CAD 6.30 or USD 4.40 (October 2026 rates).

What are the opening hours of Arima Onsen?

Arima Onsen keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 08:00–22:00.