Savor unique sweets at a retro Western-style building in the heart of town

A five-minute walk from Arima Onsen Station brings you to a charming white building of Western-style architecture. Rest awhile at Cafe de Beau, a café and confectionery shop offering a plethora of treats, from cakes featuring seasonal fruits and French pastries to Japanese-style sweets made with local ingredients such as Tanba black soybeans. Their most popular item, the “Arima Roll,” is made with rice flour and salt extracted from Arima's golden waters (kinsen), lending it a luxurious fluffy texture and delicately balanced sweet and savory taste. Eating golden water-now there's a novel way to improve your health.
Cafe De Beau
Address: 835 Arimacho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
Hours: 9:00–18:00
Closed: Tuesdays
Tel.: 078-904-0555

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Photo: Cafe De Beau is housed in the renovated home of the 14th-generation owner of Tosen Goshobo, Arima Onsen's oldest inn.
Photo: The “Arima Roll,” made with salt extracted from Arima Onsen's golden waters (kinsen).

Enjoy the fall foliage at a park steeped in autumn hues

Another of Arima Onsen's famous attractions is its beautiful fall foliage. The most scenic spot for viewing the autumn leaves is Zuihoji Park, established on the site of the abandoned Zuihoji Temple. The park is home to around 2,500 maple trees that transform into a vibrant palette of fall hues starting in early November. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a prominent historical figure, was so captivated by the scenery that he praised it as “a garden one could never tire of,” earning it the nickname “Higurashi-no-niwa,” or “The Garden of All-Day Delight.”
Zuihoji Park
Address: 500-19 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Hours: Open 24 hours
Tel.: 078-904-0708 (Arima Onsen Tourist Information Center)

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Photo: The park is a 15-minute walk from Kin no Yu, one of Arima Onsen's public hot springs, up a gentle slope.

Delight in local ingredients with the creations of a “Fermentation Sommelier”

The culinary world is abuzz with excitement for fermented foods, and chefs across the world are taking notice. Arima's very own Hacco-enn is centered around fermentation (hakko in Japanese), using koji (fermented rice culture) to offer up healthy, invigorating meals. The dishes here feature exquisite traditional Japanese fermented foods, and the staff, certified as “Fermentation Sommeliers,” are wellsprings of knowledge, on hand to enrich your dining experience and guide you through the nutritional benefits and effects of each fermented delicacy. Each meticulously prepared fermented dish is a revelation of flavors and textures, a perfect bite of slow food.
Hacco-enn
Address: 1030 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Tel.: 078-904-0233
Hours: 11am–2pm, 5pm–8pm
Closed: Tuesdays

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Photo : A popular lunch dish of health-conscious Japanese food, “Steam Gozen” set meal (2,530 yen, incl. tax). True to the hot spring town spirit, the dish is served atop a wooden hot spring bucket—a unique and charming touch.

Spend a tranquil evening at a nostalgic onsen inn

Arima Onsen has long been a much-loved retreat for many, from warlords like Toyotomi Hideyoshi seeking solace from battle fatigue to modern literary giants like Junichiro Tanizaki. The area is famous for its 2 distinct types of hot springs: The rich amber kinsen (golden waters) and the clear ginsen (silver waters), each offering different therapeutic qualities. After an early dinner at your accommodations, take a walk outside wearing the traditional geta (wooden sandals) provided. The clack of geta against stone-paved streets, illuminated by the warm glow of streetlights, is a charming source of nostalgia in and of itself. After your stroll, take another soak in the hot springs or, instead, enjoy a quiet evening of reading, channeling the spirits of past literary figures. However you choose to pass the time, a serene, indulgent night awaits. 

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Treat yourself to the real deal in the birthplace of Kobe beef

No visit to Kobe would be complete without a taste of Kobe beef, renowned worldwide for its unparalleled quality. The pinnacle of wagyu beef, Kobe is synonymous with premium meat, and the area around Kitano Ijinkan and Sannomiya, a 15-minute walk apart, is teeming with restaurants serving up tender, marbled, melt-in-the-mouth Kobe beef. The sizzling steak, presented with a flourish, is a feast for the senses—utter contentment for both the stomach and heart.

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Kobe Beef Restaurant GuideOpens in a new window

Photo: Provided by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association.

Onboard the boh boh Kobe, a cafe offers snacks like the “Fish Dog,” made with sakana-pan bread from Kobe's renowned bakery Ça Marche, along with soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. The specialty sake “-ZUI-,” aged for 6 months in the Minatogawa Tunnel, is crisp, fruity, and goes down smooth. The icing on the cake? There's no need for reservations—simply purchase your ticket on the spot and embark on an experience of pure luxury.
KOBE SEA BUS, boh boh KOBE
13-minute walk from JR Kobe Station via the underground shopping mall, heading toward the Mosaic shopping mall.

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Photo: The special sake “-ZUI-” is stored in tunnels (zuido) for 6 months.

Entrance to the main observation floor and rooftop deck requires a ticket specifying the date and time of the visit. If there are available slots, same-day tickets can be purchased at the 1st-floor ticket booth. To avoid long waits or missing out, advance ticket purchases are recommended.

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