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70115-0005 - Kinosaki Onsen hot spring, 1920s

Kinosaki 1920s
Kinosaki

Artist	Unknown
Publisher	Unknown
Medium	Postcard
Period	Showa
Location	Kinosaki
Image No.	70115-0005
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

The hot spring town of Kinosaki Onsen in northern Hyogo Prefecture has a history that reaches back many centuries.

According to local legend a hot spring sprang forth in 717 A.D. after the priest Dochi-Shonin prayed here for one thousand consecutive days. The buddhist temple Onsenji was built to honor the priest and on April 23rd and 24th a festival is still held to commemorate his miraculous feat.

Beautifully located along the Otani River, it is lined with a large number of community bathhouses. Especially famous are Satono-yu, Ichino-yu, Jizo-yu and Kono-yu. Kono-yu’s name originates from another famous local legend about a stork that used a spring in this location to heal its wounds. Its name actually means stork’s hot spring.

Kinosaki became a household word in Japan thanks to the novel _Kinosaki ni te (At Kinosaki) by Japanese novelist Naoya Shiga.

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Published April 5, 2008
Updated December 10, 2021 7:08 AM

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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

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Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (December 10, 2021). Kinosaki 1920s: Kinosaki, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on May 20, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/147/kinosaki

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