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Arima Onsen has a long history and is one of Japan's “Three Ancient Springs” along with Dogo Onsen (the pearl of Ehime) and Shirahama Onsen (the treasure of Wakayama). Since ancient times, the hot springs have attracted the attention of literary figures and heroes. To this day, the hot spring town is still filled with a rich traditional atmosphere, making it a picturesque and fascinating place to visit.
📝 Toyotomi Hideyoshi's beloved Kansai chamber.
The history of Arima as a hot spring resort dates back as far as the mythological era and appears in various documents such as the Nihon Shoki and the Pillow Kusako. During the Edo period, a hot spring ranking system was created in Japan, where hot springs were ranked like sumo wrestlers. Among them, Arima Onsen is known throughout the country as “Nishi-Okan,” the highest ranked onsen. The hot springs were visited by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi in ancient times, and by Junichiro Tanizaki, a literary figure in modern times. Among them, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was particularly fond of Arima Onsen, and worked many times to rebuild buildings and hot spring facilities damaged by natural disasters. As a result, there are still many stories and places of interest in the area.
The deep connection between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Arima Onsen has not only become a favorite story that has been passed down through the ages, but has also added a touch of heroism to the land. To this day, you can still feel the warmth and coziness from the depths of history as you stroll through the streets and alleys of Arima Old Town. Every spot, every building, as if telling the Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Arima's inexplicable relationship, so that people in the hot springs in the dense, through the corridors of time and space, and the ancients bathed in this sacred spring. A secret place for healing, a witness to history. Arima hot springs, with its unique charm, attracting countless travelers to explore, feel the style and flavor across the millennium.
“Arima”, originally written ‘Arima’ in Japanese, means between mountains. Located in Kita-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Arima Onsen Town is situated in a ravine at the foot of the Rokko Mountain Range on the northern side of the Rokko Mountain Range, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Although it is not far from the center of Kobe City, it is known as the “back living room of Kansai” because you can feel the peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Arima Onsen is easily accessible from the downtown area of Kobe, taking only 30 to 45 minutes each way by public transportation or car, and about 60 minutes by bus from Osaka. There are also many buses to and from hotels and ryokans at Arima Onsen Station on the Kobe Electric Railway. The excellent transportation conditions make it easy to stay in and visit the area or to go back and forth on the same day, and this is one of the attractions of the area that makes it so popular.
It is said that in ancient times, two deities, Oumi Takamitsu and Shohiko Meimitsu, discovered this natural outpouring of the earth's bounty when they happened to see three crows healing their wounds during a visit to Arima. As the oldest hot spring in the Kansai region, Arima Onsen is also known as one of the “Three Hot Springs” of Japan, along with Kusatsu Onsen (Gunma Prefecture) and Gero Onsen (Gifu Prefecture), due to its special quality. Here, you can not only experience the old Japanese atmosphere in the secret land of time, but also enjoy the different qualities of the famous rust-red “gold spring” and the colorless and transparent “silver spring”. Kanazumi is a rust-red colored spring with a concentration of iron salts twice that of seawater and a water temperature of 90°C or more. Ginzumi is colorless and transparent, with a water temperature of about 50°C, and contains carbonic acid and radiant energy, which enhances the effects of natural healing.
In addition to the specialty hot springs, local specialties and folk crafts are also popular among tourists. Arima baskets made of soft bamboo, doll pens wrapped in colorful threads with “Yashiki patterns” or “Ichimatsu” motifs, and matsutake seaweed made using the traditional Tsukuda cooking method are ideal souvenirs that show off the traditional skills and culture of the old town. Gifts. Especially noteworthy are the carbonated pancakes, a local specialty. Since the Meiji 40s, local craftsmen have been making these pancakes without eggs or cream by dissolving flour in carbonated water and seasoning them with sugar and salt, depending on the temperature and humidity, and they have been handed down to the present day. The thin, cicada-like crust is crisp and light when you bite into it, and the moment it breaks on your tongue, it blossoms into a delightful sound that is simple and plain but with a rich aftertaste.
🤗 Hot spring lodging in a forest of oak trees
Among the many hot spring inns in the area, I chose a paradise in a remote area - “Ginsuijo Zhaole”. Hidden in a high hill in the northern part of Mount Rokko, Zaole is not only blessed with a location that offers a far-reaching view of the bustle of the hot spring town and the magnificence of Mount Rokko, but also has a unique environment that charms every traveler with its unique charm, allowing them to be enchanted and to forget about the cares of the world.
With 10 hot spring baths and an outdoor swimming pool, Zaole is the only hot spring inn in Arima Onsen to have both gold and silver baths. As one of Japan's top 100 lodges, Zaole also has three award-winning rooms from Japan's private lodges: Ariake Sakura, Yuzan Koha and Arima Fuji at Shikoku Bessho. The famous Japanese novelist, Shiroyama Saburo, also introduced the museum's silver spring, “Radium Spring”, in his work [Mouse] and gave it a deep symbolic meaning - it is not only a natural It is not only a gift of nature, but also a haven for the soul, representing purity, tranquility, and spiritual purification and sublimation.
In the lush green or autumn jungle surroundings, in the cozy and refreshing or airy morning twilight, while listening to the yellow warbler tits, while relaxing in the open-air hot springs, to enjoy the luxurious scenery of nature. Or on special days, and special people to meet, the morning walk in the forest, the sunset to talk about wine, the passage of time also seems to begin to become slow ...... such elegant and leisurely space, such a comfortable and warm state of mind, how long have you not felt it?
According to the guidelines of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, therapeutic hot springs generally contain the following nine main components: simple hot springs, carbon dioxide springs, bicarbonate springs, chloride springs, sulfate springs, iron-containing springs, sulfur springs, acidic springs, and radioactive springs. Arima Onsen, on the other hand, contains seven other components in addition to sulfur and acidic springs, and this kind of multi-component hot spring is rare even in the world.
Another aspect of the healing power of Arima Onsen is religious. Arima Onsen is regarded as a place where Yakushi-Buddha is practiced. In the middle of the hot spring town, there is an onsen temple with a Yakushido (Hall of the Medicine Buddha). According to the origins of the temple, Gyoki, who was born in the Nara period, went to Arima and met a sick person who had rotted all over his body and who was an incarnation of Yakushi-Buddha. He was the incarnation of Yakushi Buddha, so Gyoki made a statue of Yakushi Buddha and placed it here, and this was the beginning of Onsenji Temple. This story is only a falsehood, and many prototypes can be found. In fact, Gyoki certainly had nothing to do with the founding of Onsenji. This legend was likewise recorded by Seohee Cho-bong, who also heard that a statue of Yakushi Buddha lay at the bottom of the hot spring pool.
In addition to the legend of the Medicine Buddha's spirituality, there is also a Rupa Hall in the hot spring mountain with a pagoda and built-in Buddhist scriptures. According to the “Hades Susei”, when the monk Zunhui of Arima went to Yama's meeting in the Heian period, Yama told him that Arima Hot Spring was a unique resort, that the east gate of Yama's palace was here, and that the hot spring spring that gushed out from the Yakushi stone statue could cure the illnesses of all living beings. This event was also recorded by Rui Xi Zhou Feng.
For these reasons, Arima Onsen became a holy place of religion, and was believed in by both monks and laymen of the time as a place of spiritual healing. For this reason, travelers to Arima Onsen were required to visit Onsenji Temple, Amidado Hall, and other temples and shrines in the vicinity. In addition, the water of Arima Onsen was considered to be a panacea, and it was transported to the residences of royalty and nobility to be used for health maintenance and healing. This is far beyond what we know of hot springs today.
- Author:japan guides
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