HyogoTravel

Kinosaki Literary Museum (城崎文芸館)

Flow of the course

Previous stop: Start your trip at the station's drinking fountain and foot bath, then stroll into the wooden hot-spring town

About 10 min from the previous stop

About 60 min here

About 10 min to the next stop

Next stop: Up to the summit of Mount Daishi: a sweeping panorama of the hot-spring town, the Maruyama River, and the Sea of Japan

About this spot

A museum introducing the footsteps of the literary figures who loved Kinosaki Onsen, starting with Shiga Naoya's (志賀直哉) 'At Kinosaki' (『城の崎にて』). Inside are materials related to Shiga Naoya and exhibits on writers who visited Kinosaki, such as Yosano Akiko (与謝野晶子), letting you feel firsthand why this hot-spring town is called a 'town of literature'. Special exhibitions rotate regularly, and a corner featuring books from the local publishing label Hon to Onsen (本と温泉), available only in Kinosaki, is also worth seeing. There's a foot bath in front of the museum too, where you can rest and savor the lingering impression of what you've just seen. The scale is just right for the two of you to go around discussing your impressions, and getting a feel for the writers' stories here will sharpen the detail of the scenery you see on your stroll afterward.

Tips

About a 5-minute walk from Kinosaki Onsen Station along the hot-spring town's main street. The museum is compact, so an hour is enough to enjoy it at a relaxed pace. Reading 'At Kinosaki' beforehand makes a world of difference in how you appreciate the exhibits. The museum is closed on Wednesdays, so be sure to check the opening days before you visit.