Onishiya Suishoen — Hotel in Toyooka

When I mapped out our November-December 2023 trip to Japan last June, I chose west of Kansai region and the northwest along the Sea of Japan where Kansai Wide Area 5-day Pass and Sanyo/San’in Area 7-day Pass would cover. When I came across Kinosaki on the map, I thought this would be the first place to begin our journey of “off the beaten path” (this was my 10th trip to Japan, my desire to travel off the beaten path was obvious.) ||Since Kinosaki is an onsen town, it makes sense to choose a traditional ryokan with on-site onsen. I found Onishiya Suishoen’s official website very helpful. The photos are genuinely impressive. It has all I was looking for: daily 10-course Kaiseki dinner with premium choices of Matsuba crabs, Tajima beef and local delicacies, along with traditional Japanese breakfast, can be served in-room or in a private dining room; indoor/outdoor onsen; a quiet guest room for two, with private garden views; free shuttle from the JR Kinosaki station; an entertainment lounge; a public sitting lounge with views of scenic Japanese garden; away from the busy tourist center. A free day-stamped pass to use in town’s seven historical public onsens, valid per day from 14:00 to 15:00 the following day; a daily shuttle offers to and from main area of Kinosaki town, from 16:00 to 22:00. These are extra bonus offers to the guests. The guest car parking is available. ||We arrived at the Kinosaki JR Station on a rainy day. After exiting the station I found the sign of hotels free shuttle across the street just as I was informed at the time of booking. A local coordinator was waiting outside the station and started taking names of the arriving guests. I gave her our hotel’s name and after about 10-15 min waiting we boarded a van and headed to the local hotels. Interestedly, most of the guests in the van are foreigners like we, all got off the last stop. Upon checked in we were told to leave our luggage at the front lobby area. We then followed the hostess to the public lounge waiting for an assigned staff to accompany us to the room and to get familiar with what they have to offer during the stays. When I booked this ryokan I asked for a quiet room and surely our room is at the end of the first floor hallway. ||During our two-night stay we had a personal hostess named Chiba. She catered our needs for the entire stay, served two meals a days, prepared beddings and replenished in-room services for us. On the second night she noticed we were trying to stack several cushions over the leg-less chairs to improve the posture comforts. She asked if we would prefer regular chairs and a raised table. When we said yes, she quickly popped up the table legs and brought us two chairs. We were so pleased with her attention to details. She did her best in English, explained our daily meal options and introduced each serving plate and sources of the ingredients. She was a very good hostess for us. On the first night we had seafood Kaiseki dinner with premium selection of Matsuba crabs (freshly caught snow crabs from the nearby Japan Sea), prepared in sashimi, steamed, hot pot and de-shelled and served in various decorated serving wares. The size of Matsuba crab was eye-popping, it’s super delicious, and the best kind we have ever had. But the entire 10 courses were more than what we two seniors could handle and giving up the unfinished crabs to the wastes was unavoidable. After the meal Chiba asked if we would go for another all crab dinner the next night, we elected to try other options. She recommended fish, chicken, pork and a local specialty Tajima beef for the main entrée. She served our two dinners and one breakfast in our room; tirelessly carry dishes in and out of the serving trays and making several trips to serve them and then clean-up after. She also served us one breakfast in a private dining room with multiples dishes presented. ||Besides well attended hospitality services, we enjoyed the quietness of our room, the elegant decors, a garden facing sitting area with kotatsu table and peaceful atmosphere around the property. There are several professional photos of white storks (a local legend connected to the healing power of the local onsen) in an exhibit room. Onishiya Suishoen proudly adopted the white stork-“Kounotori”-Bird of Happiness as its trademark. A large entertainment room with TV, oversize lounge sofas, massages chairs and chilled water/tea free to use. Several elegant Japanese decors along the walls add the essence of homey atmosphere. The public hallways are uniquely fitted with super clean tatami floor, give guests soft comfort footings. There are two indoor/outdoor onsens designated by the gender use. Guests have access to the pools from 14:30- 24:00 and morning from 5:30-9:30, to fully enjoy benefits of cleansing, healing and rejuvenating in mineral bathing. It’s especially enjoyable during the winter season. The secluded open-air onsen on each side is only accessible from the inside onsen. It is a small size pool, where one can soak in the misty hot spring flowing in from the piped source and enjoy gentle cool breeze from nature’s surroundings. Ryokan’s courtyard is a landscaped Japanese garden with seasonal flowering shrubs and a large koi pond. Guests have breathtaking views of the nature’s beauty from each changing season. ||Onishiya Suishoen’s esteemed hospitality, super clean facilities and premium choices of meal plans met all of our expectations. We were pleased to get to know Chiba who has served us diligently with courtesy, kindness, and respect. I would highly recommend Onishiya Suishoen to you whenever you plan a trip...

It's my first ryokan and onsen experience after reading it a lot on manga, and it feels surreal.

I recommended this place for first timer because everything is just like what I imagine. The hospitality, the room, the food and even the vibes.

How to get to the ryokan? Upon arriving in the station, go outside and there'll be 2 ladies who hold some kind of board in their hand. Just state your ryokan name and they'll direct you to which shuttle. After that the shuttle will bring you to your respective ryokan.

Tips: You can bring luggage but I think it'll be better if it's small luggage because I saw other tourists who bring very large and heavy suitcases struggled to put the luggage inside the shuttle because there's no baggage space

After arriving to the ryokan they'll greet you and don't fret if you can't speak japanese. They have english speaking staffs and if the staff is currently handling other guests, you'll be directed to stay in the lobby (which is really nice and tranquil)

After that, the staff will come to you explain the free beverage station 24hours which is in the lobby (they have cold tea, nescafe machine, tea bags), they also have lounge room which only open until 10pm but have 2 massage chairs (I used it and it's so nice after several days walking around Japan). You can also get ice popsicle, cold beverages, soda and red bean jelly in the lounge room unlimited (only beer need to be paid)

And then the staff will direct you to the room and explain everything about the room and how they'll arrange the futon while we're having dinner. PS. There's free asahi beer in the fridge and it's free. Feel really nice to drink the beer after trying onsens

I recommend you to try the complete package including breakfast and dinner because it's worth it! The experience itself is nice, the presentation of the food is good and the taste is yummy not mind blowing good but I think it's better to try everything once

They give a pass for the 7 onsen which can be use even after checkout (3pm the next day) and they provide shuttle services to the 7 onsens with maps and explanation on how to contact them (there's a qr in the maps, bring it with you and remeber it's call only)

I use the shuttle to go to Kouno-yu and then I walk to Mandara-yu and call the ryokan for pickup. Really convenience!!

Tips for walking around: Don't go to the road construction, but turn right before the construction, walk straight and turn right again (there's a signboard that said spa tour, just follow it) you'll see a tunnel and you can go inside, and you'll arrive in the town near jizou-yu and ichino-yu

Onsen tips: After arriving try the onsen in the ryokan first. The onsen is superb and the amenities are better! They also have indoor and outdoor onsen so it's fun! After 10pm I don't know why but ryokan onsen is quite busy.

Your 7 onsen pass can be used even after checking out and you can asked the receptionist staff for free onsen towel! I don't have any towel with me so I asked the staff about it, and they happily provided me with the towel. (It became a nice...

This ryokan delivers everything one would expect from a ryokan without breaking the bank—considerably less expensive than most ryokans in Kinosaki.

The highlights:

The service. As soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted warmly and shown around the property by our lovely attendant, who also served us tea upon settling in to our room. Everyone we encountered was friendly, professional, and helpful despite the language barrier. Ryokans are rather formal, traditional places by definition, but the staff were able to deliver a high standard of service and refinement while also being warm and personable. The space. The property doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s a sanctuary of zen within. The halls and lounge areas are gorgeously appointed to create a calming ambiance. The on-site onsen, with indoor and outdoor baths complete with a trickling stream and bamboo garden, is fabulously luxurious—as good as the onsen bathhouses in town. The garden in the central courtyard is the perfect backdrop. Our traditional Japanese-style room (western-style rooms are also available) was spacious and beautifully decorated. I thought sleeping on the tatami mats might turn out to be a pain, but the padded mattresses were comfortable, though the buckwheat pillows required some getting used to by our non-Japanese necks.

The lowlights:

Our en-suite shower and washroom facilities were dated and seemed somewhat neglected. The towels were thin and ragged. The lighting was dim. This area could use an upgrade. It’s a short 10-minute walk to town, but along a street that’s busy with car traffic and without a proper sidewalk. It’s neither scenic nor enjoyable. The ryokan’s shuttle to town only starts in the late afternoon. Based on the website, I expected relaxing foot massages to be provided after soaking in the onsen. We had a laugh when we discovered that the foot massages were provided by infomercial-style machines rather than actual therapists.

Tips:

When you check in, ask for a room with windows facing the courtyard garden. Ours faced the parking lot—far less inspiring! There’s a fabulous cafe in town called Fuluck that serves the most delicious and refreshing tea-based beverages. Our fave was the uji tea lemonade with shiso. Their matcha desserts are also exceptional.

Overall, we had a memorable and enjoyable stay at this ryokan and would recommend it, especially given the price. It didn’t feel ultra-luxurious, but it had loads of charm and personality while delivering an authentic, comfortable...