Kinosaki Hot Springs | Kinosaki Seasons | Kinosaki Onsen Hot Spring Town

Spring

Every Year, spring begins in Kinosaki with the flowering of the cherry blossom trees and the budding of the willow trees that line Otani Street. On April 23rd and 24th, there is a festival commemoration Douchi-Shonin.

Douchi-Shounin, as local folklore has it, was a priest responsible for the founding of the Onsen in Kinosaki. Beginning in the year 717 A.D., Douchi-Shonin prayed for 1000 consecutive days. After these 1000 days, the Onsen sprung forth from the grounf in the present location of Mandara-yu. The Onsen Temple (Onsenji), was built in honor of Douchi-Shonin during the years 1394 - 1427 A.D.

	Event Name	Venue	Description
Mid-March	Free taru-sake (barreled sake) service and reverse auction of crabs
Late March to Mid-April	Night Cherry Blossoms Month	Around Kiyamachi-dori Street	Cherry blossoms add pleasure to your sotoyu tour. The street between Kiyamachi-dori Street and Yunomoto-dori Street turns into a row of cherry blossom trees. The street is decorated with paper lanterns at night.
Early April	Nagashi-bina Festival	In front of Ichino-yu	People flout hina dolls out into a river to have them take all their problems away, and pray for health and happiness of their children.
Late April	Onsen Festival	Kinosaki Onsen Town	This festival is held on the anniversary of the death of Dochi-shonin, the founder of Kinosaki Onsen. Events, including a classic-style parade and children’s parade, along with many stalls, entertain visitors.
Early to mid-April	Kinosaki Onsen "Yume Akari"	Gate of Yakushido Onsen-ji Temple, the street of willow trees along the Otani River and Taiko-bashi Bridge	Kinosaki Onsen is lit dimly with lighting of the gate of Yakushido Onsen-ji Temple, willow trees along the Otani River, and Taiko-bashi Bridge, and limited-time lighting by paper lanterns under cherry trees.
Early May	Shobu-yu Festival	Sotoyu (public hot spring bath facilities) in Kinosaki Onsen	You can enjoy “Kinosaki shobu-yu (bath with sweet flag leaves) for good health” at the sotoyu facilities and hotels.

Summer

The summer is a great season to stay in Kinosaki. There are many activities in which one can participate in and around Kinosaki. The nearby Murayama River provides a great location for boating or watching boating regattas. The Sea of Japan is only five minutes from Kinosaki by car or bus. One can relax and swim at any of the nearby beaches, and Kai Beach.

	Event Name	Venue	Description
Early to Late June	Ayame (Iris) Month	Kinosaki Onsen Town	Irises bloom everywhere in the town, delighting the eyes of people on a public hot spring bath tour.
Early June	Kinosaki Yukata Festival	Kinosaki Onsen Town	Yukata Fashion Show/Miss Yukata Contest
Early June	Hanakake Jizoson Festival	In front of Hanakake Jizoson (stone statue) in Sasaura District	People believe they will be granted one wish by this Jizoson, as told in an old Japanese folk tale.
Late July to Early August	Kinosaki Onsen: Natsu Monogatari, Yume Hanabi	Kinosaki Onsen Town	The summer night sky in Kinosaki is highlighted by various fireworks. From 21:00, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
August 1 to 7	Tanabata Star Festival Decorations	Seven Sotoyu (public hot spring bath facilities), Kiyamachi-koji Street	Bamboo trees are set up, along with strips of paper and pens at the sites, so feel free to write your wishes on to the paper strips and put them up on the bamboo trees.
August 4	Furusato Festival (Home Town Festival) (Yukata Day) / Fireworks Festival	Kinosaki Onsen Town	We are waiting for you with many stalls and events, including fireworks festivals.
August 5	Gyoja Festival (*gyoja is the founder of shugendo, a highly syncretic Buddhist religion in Japan)
August 14 to 16	Bon Dance Festival
Late August	Otani River Summer Night Toro Nagashi Ceremony / Yume Hanabi	In front of Ichino-yu	Everyone is welcome to draw pictures and write wishes on toro (paper lanterns) for free, and release the toro into the Otani River. This is a very Japanese event filled with end-of-summer melancholy feelings in Kinosaki.

Autumn

Kinosaki is an ideal location for the autumn season. Nestled within forested mountains, one can get a beautiful view of the changing colours of the autumn leaves. Kinosaki's autumn is usually quite peaceful with the exception of the Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuti).

Aki Matsuri is held on October 14th and 15th. During this festival, many of the residents wear traditional clothing. Groups of men carry shrines through the main street. In the evening, the festival reaches a climax as the shrine carriers clash withe one another in a type of ritual battle.

	Event Name	Venue	Description
Mid-September	Kinosaki Onsen Moon Viewing Event		Sotoyu facilities and Taiko-bashi Bridge are decorated with moon-viewing party ornaments.
Mid-September	Tajima Yushima-no Bon Dance (postponed in case of rain)	Kinosaki Onsen Town	You can enjoy an elegant dance along with melancholy tones of kokyu (Chinese fiddle), shakuhachi (bamboo flute), and shamisen (three-stringed Japanese guitar played with a plectrum), in the romantic hot spring town.
Mid-October	Kinosaki Autumn Festival	Kinosaki Onsen Town	This is a festival of the Shisho Shrine to pray for prosperity of the hot spring. The gorgeous danjiri floats are the biggest in the Tajima region (the most northern region of Hyogo Prefecture).
Early November	Ceremony to Pray for a Bountiful Catch of Crabs
Mid-November	Opening Ceremony of Crab Kingdom	In front of JR Kinosaki Onsen Station	An opening ceremony of Crab Kingdom is held at the beginning of the crab season. Events include Kinosaki’s famous “Thank Crabs Shouting Contest,” etc.

Winter

Winter is a very nice time of the year to enjoy Kinosaki. The Onsen, hot springs, are particulariy relaxing and refreshing during this cooler season. The winter is also the height of the crab season. One can enjoy the delicious taste of crab freshly caught in the nearby Sea of Japan. One can also participate in a number of winter sports in the local area. Just across the Maruyama River is the Culture, Sports and Recreation Center where there is an outdoor ice skating rink.

Also some of the Kansai region's finest downhill ski areas are located near Kinosaki. Mt. Kannabe and Mt. Hachibuse are located only forty minutes and one hour away by car, respectively.

	Event Name	Venue	Description
December 22	Yuzu-yu (Toji: Winter Solstice)
Late January to early February	Free services of crab zosui (Japanese rice soup) and taru-sake	In front of JR Kinosaki Onsen Station	Everyone is welcome for free offerings of delicious crab zosui and local sake.