Kinosaki Onsen, Traditional hot spring resort in Toyooka, Japan.
Kinosaki Onsen is a thermal resort along the Otani River in Toyooka, Japan, made up of seven public bathhouses. Each building has indoor and outdoor pools filled with warm thermal water fed from natural springs.
A Buddhist monk discovered the hot springs in the 8th century after a period of prayer. The place developed into a bathing resort that attracted Japanese travelers from across the country.
Visitors walk between bathhouses in yukata and wooden sandals, following a bathing ritual unchanged for centuries. At some bathhouses, locals sit on low stools and wash before entering the hot pools, a gesture guests copy as part of the routine.
A day pass for all bathhouses costs 1300 yen at the ticket desks, while some guesthouses offer free entry to their guests. Outdoor pools tend to be quieter in the evening when the temperature drops and steam rises from the water.
Nearby is a sanctuary for Oriental White Storks, where a breeding program operates. These birds were once extinct in Japan and are now slowly returning.
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