[Access] Right outside JR Kinosaki Onsen Station on the San’in Main Line

Right next to Kinosaki Station is “Sato-no-yu,” one of the famous public baths in Kinosaki Onsen. It’s a communal bath with a focus on “returning to nature.” I was pleasantly surprised—the rooftop open-air bath with the morning sun streaming in feels incredible, and the variety of saunas is just amazing. They have everything from a Finnish sauna and a high-temperature dry sauna to a mist sauna and even a low-temperature “penguin sauna.” It’s quite an impressive setup for a public bath in a hot spring town.

Speaking of impressive, the lobbies of all the public baths in Kinosaki are so clean and beautiful that it really catches you off guard. The staff opens the door for you when you arrive, and even if you just kick off your geta (wooden clogs), they’ll have them neatly arranged and ready for you when you’re leaving. I think that kind of cleanliness and hospitality is exactly what draws so many female visitors. Outside Sato-no-yu, there’s also a footbath that you can enjoy as soon as you step off the train.