Kinosaki no Yado Ryokufukaku, a hot spring inn in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture, has opened two new spaces within the property in August 2026: "Yuagari-dokoro (湯あがり処)," a lounge reserved exclusively for overnight guests, and "Shion (汐音)," a members-only lounge reserved for guests booked on select plans.
For Ryokufukaku, a stay at the inn is about more than the time spent in the hot spring or sauna — it also includes resting the body afterward and savoring that lingering sense of ease. The two new spaces are meant to give guests a comfortable place to unwind in a way that suits them, whether they've just soaked in the inn's indoor bath and sauna or returned from touring Kinosaki Onsen's public bathhouses.
Making the Time After a Bath Just as Comfortable
Kinosaki Onsen is well known for its "sotoyu meguri," the custom of strolling the town in a yukata and geta sandals to visit its seven public bathhouses.
At Ryokufukaku, in addition to the inn's own hot spring, guests have long been able to enjoy a "locally themed sauna" that draws on the nature and culture of the Tajima region.
At the same time, the moments after a hot spring or sauna session — pausing with a cold drink in hand, or resting after a walk around the public baths — are also an important part of the memories a trip leaves behind.
With the idea of making that "just a little longer here after the bath" feeling more comfortable, the inn renovated part of its dining area, Taizan (泰山). What had previously served as a single dining space has now been divided into two: the dining area itself, and a new lounge for overnight guests, Yuagari-dokoro, creating a new way to spend time within the inn.
Yuagari-dokoro: A Lounge Reserved for Overnight Guests
The newly created "Yuagari-dokoro" is a rest space that any guest staying at Ryokufukaku is free to use.
Guests can drop by casually after enjoying the inn's hot spring and sauna, or after returning from a stroll around Kinosaki Onsen's public bathhouses in a yukata and geta sandals.
Depending on the time of day, the lounge offers items such as Hiraya milk — a favorite in the neighboring Kyotango area — bite-sized ice cream, and Tajima-produced hojicha.
Guests can cool down with a cold glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream after a bath, or settle in with a warm cup of tea — each finding their own way to spend the time.
Rather than prescribing a set way to relax, the space was designed simply to give each guest a place to pause in whatever way suits them.
The drinks and ice cream on offer may change with the season.
Shion: A Members-Only Lounge for Guests on Select Plans
The members-only lounge, Shion, is reserved for guests who have booked select plans.
It was created to give guests an even more unhurried way to enjoy their time within the inn.
Furnished with warm wood tones and calm, muted colors, the lounge offers drinks and light snacks.
Guests are free to use it after a soak in the hot spring or sauna, between rounds of the public bathhouses, or before and after time in their room — whenever fits the rhythm of their stay.
While Yuagari-dokoro is open to every guest, Shion is designed as a quieter, calmer space for those seeking a more unhurried moment.
By adding more places within the inn — beyond the guest room — where visitors can settle in and feel at home, Ryokufukaku aims to offer a stay suited to each guest.
The members-only lounge, Shion, is available only to guests who have booked select plans.
A Taste of Tajima in the Bathing Experience: Ryokufukaku's Locally Themed Saunas
Ryokufukaku also features two "locally themed saunas" that bring the nature and culture of the Tajima region into the bathing experience.
The "Kounotori Sauna" takes its motif from Izushi's soba houses and the oriental white stork (kounotori), a bird said to bring happiness.
The "Genbu Sauna" evokes the columnar joints and quiet caverns of Genbudo, one of Tajima's best-known scenic spots.
Both are full-fledged Finnish-style saunas where guests can enjoy self-service löyly.
The water used for löyly incorporates a forest-bathing tea made from leaves and branches gathered in the forests of Tajima, along with seasonal scents, weaving a sense of the region into the bathing experience itself.
Guests can warm up in the hot spring, move through the sauna, cold bath, and open-air rest area, and then unwind afterward in Yuagari-dokoro or the Shion lounge.
At Ryokufukaku, the goal is to offer not just the time spent bathing, but the whole sequence of moments before and after it, as a single continuous stay experience.
An Inn Focused on the Value of the Entire Stay, Not Just the Food and Service
Kinosaki no Yado Ryokufukaku placed second in the Kinki/Hokuriku block of the "Jalan Award 2025," in the "Inns Worth Staying At" (dinner) category for properties with 50 rooms or fewer, and second in the same room-count category in Hyogo Prefecture's "Inns Worth Staying At" (overall) award.
Alongside the food and hospitality the inn has always valued, Ryokufukaku is now extending that same care to the hot spring, the sauna, the time after a bath, and the moments spent relaxing within the property.
By refining each part of the time guests spend at the inn, Ryokufukaku hopes to exceed expectations and become a place guests want to return to.
Facility Overview
Facility Name: Kinosaki no Yado Ryokufukaku
Address: 174 Yushima, Kinosaki-cho, Toyooka, Hyogo 669-6101
Phone Number: 0796-32-2834
Official Website: https://ryokufukaku.com/
Sauna Page: https://ryokufukaku.com/sauna/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinosaki_ryokufukaku/
