Matsuya (also written Ryokan Matsuya) is a 12-room wooden ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo. It sits on the willow-lined street right in front of Ichi-no-yu and Yanagi-yu, two of the town’s public bathhouses, and its kitchen serves kaiseki made dish by dish, with crab plans in season. Before you book, three things matter: the pass for all seven public bathhouses is included; dinner starts at 18:00, so the last check-in on dinner plans is 18:00; and the private bath is paid and booked by the day before.
Matsuya at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 370 Yushima, Kinosaki-cho, Toyooka, Hyogo |
| Phone | +81-796-32-2134 |
| Rooms | 12, all Japanese-style; the inn assigns the room |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 10:00 |
| Last check-in | 18:00 (dinner plans), 21:00 (room only) |
| Baths | Indoor baths for men and women; paid private semi-open-air bath; pass to 7 public bathhouses |
| Elevator | None |
| Wi-Fi | Free (password at the front desk) |
| Deposit | Not required |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
The building is a traditional wooden one, and the inn itself notes that sounds from the floor below and the room next door can carry. There is no elevator. The 12 rooms are all Japanese-style; the room photos show an 8-mat standard room and rooms facing the street on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the booking page lists the standard room as non-smoking with a toilet. Rooms have air conditioning, a TV and a fridge with paid drinks.
Where is Matsuya in Kinosaki, and how do I get there?
How far is it from Kinosaki Onsen Station?
About 7 minutes on foot, according to the access page. By car, it is about 20 minutes from the Toyooka-Izushi exit of the Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway via Route 312. The site says pick-up is available “with conditions” but does not say what they are, so ask the inn when you book.
Is there parking, and can I leave my bags?
Parking is free in a lot by the Kinosaki literature museum (Bungeikan), about a minute’s walk away; tell the inn at booking that you are driving. Bags and cars can be left from 13:00 on arrival day and until 12:00 after checkout. Paid luggage delivery runs to the Kinosaki Onsen tourist center by the station.
The baths at Matsuya and the seven public bathhouses
What baths are inside the inn?
The water is Kinosaki’s sodium chloride spring. There is one indoor bath for men and one for women, open 24 hours except during cleaning. There is no open-air bath in the shared baths and no sauna.
How does the private bath work?
A semi-open-air private bath (a family bath) costs 1,100 yen for 30 minutes. Book it by the day before; the official pages list the inn’s phone number for this.
What are soto-yu, and is the pass included?
Soto-yu are Kinosaki’s public bathhouses in town, not outdoor baths inside the inn. The booking page says every plan includes the pass for all seven: Sato-no-yu, Mandara-yu, Ichi-no-yu, Gosho-no-yu, Kou-no-yu, Jizo-yu and Yanagi-yu. Ichi-no-yu and Yanagi-yu are right in front of the inn. The inn lends bath baskets, geta, rain boots and umbrellas at the front. Our Nishimuraya Honkan guide covers how the bathhouse walk works in Kinosaki.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book; each public bathhouse has its own rules. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Matsuya
What is dinner like?
Dinner is kaiseki that, in the inn’s words, the chef makes dish by dish, and it starts at 18:00. Meals are served in the new dining room, in your room or in a separate private room, and you cannot choose which. The chef decides the details of each menu. In the crab plans, the crab gozen uses two crabs, the full crab kaiseki two and a half, and the crab hot pot one and a half crabs per person.
What about breakfast and special diets?
The official pages do not give the breakfast style or time, and they do not mention allergies or vegetarian meals. They do say that a child’s breakfast is the same as an adult’s. Ask the inn about diets well before you arrive.
Prices at Matsuya
| Plan (booking page) | From, per adult |
|---|---|
| Room only | 16,500 yen |
| Seasonal kaiseki, two meals | 22,000 yen |
| Tajima beef steak kaiseki / shabu-shabu | 25,300 yen |
| Crab sukiyaki hot pot | 28,600 yen |
| Tajima beef steak or shabu-shabu kaiseki with a boat platter | 30,800 yen |
| Crab gozen / special crab hot pot | 37,400 yen |
| Full crab kaiseki | 38,500 yen |
Tax-included “from” prices for two adults in one room, read October 13, 2026.
On the seasonal kaiseki plan, the calendar showed 44,000 yen for two on weekdays and 50,600 yen on Saturdays and some other dates. For bathing charges, the booking page for that plan lists a bathing tax of 150 yen per adult plus a separate bathing fee of 280 yen, with children of elementary age paying a 140-yen fee only. Toyooka City sets the bathing tax at 150 yen a day, with under-12s exempt, and its tax list has no accommodation tax as of October 2026. See our onsen bathing tax guide. A patterned yukata can be picked for 660 yen.
Children, cancellation and payment
What do children cost?
On the two-meal plans, elementary-school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate. For younger children: 11,000 yen with meals and bedding, 7,700 yen with meals only, 6,050 yen with bedding only, and 2,750 yen with neither. Towels and yukata are not provided for young children. The room-only plan does not take children.
What is the cancellation policy?
The official pages list 30 percent from 3 to 2 days before, 50 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. A rule set on a specific plan takes priority. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
The booking page offers payment at the inn or online card payment. The official pages differ on which card brands are taken and on how the seasonal kaiseki plan is settled, so confirm with the inn. If you prepaid and your extras at the inn come to 5,000 yen or less, they are paid in cash.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Matsuya
- The English pages and English booking page are machine-translated; when a detail matters, check the Japanese page or ask the inn.
- Arrive by 18:00 on a dinner plan; dinner starts then.
- There is no elevator, and the wooden building carries sound.
- Book the private bath by the day before.
- Same-day bookings close at 16:00 for dinner plans and 17:00 for room only.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kinosaki bathhouse pass included at Matsuya?
Does Matsuya have a private bath?
What time is check-in at Matsuya?
What is the cancellation policy at Matsuya?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Matsuya?
Bottom line (2026): Matsuya is a small wooden ryokan facing Ichi-no-yu, with the pass for all seven public bathhouses included and kaiseki or crab dinners from 18:00. Book the private bath by the day before, and check payment and bath-tax details with the inn.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Matsuya’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, meals, hot spring, facilities and access; the official English booking page and seasonal kaiseki plan page (Japanese); and Toyooka City’s bathing tax page. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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