Arima Onsen is a historic hot spring resort tucked into the mountains behind Kobe, a 30-minute bus or ropeway ride from the city. It is one of Japan's oldest spa resorts, with records of its springs going back over a thousand years. The town is compact and pleasant — a network of narrow lanes, traditional ryokan, souvenir shops, and the Zuihoji Park where warlord Hideyoshi once held tea ceremonies.
The springs come in two distinct types. "Kinsen" (gold spring) is iron-rich and rust-coloured, staining the bathing pools an earthy orange-brown. "Ginsen" (silver spring) is clear and slightly carbonated — a rarer type found in very few places in Japan. Several public baths in the town allow day visitors; the experience of bathing in kimono-coloured waters while surrounded by mountain forest is worth the trip from the city.