Arimachō, Administrative district in Kita-ku, Kobe, Japan
Arimachō (有馬町) is an administrative district in Kita-ku, Kobe, Japan. It sits in the hills north of the city center and is shaped around the Arima Onsen hot spring area, with narrow lanes, traditional wooden buildings, and small inns clustered along its streets.
The hot springs at the heart of this district have been known for over a thousand years, making Arima Onsen one of the oldest resort areas in Japan. Over the centuries, a town grew around the baths to serve the steady flow of travelers and pilgrims who came to use them.
Arimachō (有馬町) in Kobe is closely tied to Arima Onsen, one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Japan. The narrow streets are lined with ryokans, small shops selling local snacks, and public bathhouses that remain central to daily life here.
The area is easily reached from central Kobe by bus or cable car and works well as a day trip or an overnight stay. Arriving early in the morning or in the late afternoon helps avoid the busiest moments in the narrow streets.
Arima Onsen is considered one of the three oldest bath resorts in Japan and appears in ancient imperial records. The spring water here flows in two distinct types: one is golden-brown from iron and salt minerals, while the other is colorless and mildly carbonated, both rising naturally from beneath the town.
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