Winter! It's the end of the year! It's hot springs!
Then where should we go? I would like to recommend Kinosaki Onsen, one of the best hot spring resorts in the Kansai region. Located in the northern part of Hyogo Prefecture, close to the Sea of Japan, it is one of the best hot spring resorts in the Kansai region.
A unique collaboration between Kinosaki Onsen, which celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of its opening this October, and bag brand "master-piece" has come to fruition, with a one-day free pass that allows you to visit any of the seven out-spa baths.Hot-spring tour baghas been released.
The pass is valid for five years. But now is the time to get away, and no matter how mild the winter may be, cold is cold. So I took a long trip in search of a warm bath.
KINOSAKI ONSEN × master-piece YUMEGURI BAG S ¥9,900 each
KINOSAKI ONSEN × master-piece YUMEGURI BAG L ¥12,100 each
As the name suggests, this bag was produced under the theme of "hot-spring excursions. The fabric is 3-layer nylon with excellent waterproof and breathability properties, and the front pocket has a watertight zipper. The main compartment has two layers to separate wet towels and clothing. While the design is extremely minimalistic, the item is finished with a high level of practicality, as is typical of "Masterpiece".
Kinosaki Onsen is a retro-modern hot spring resort town.
It takes about 5 hours from Tokyo Station to Kinosaki Onsen. This time we took the Tokaido Shinkansen, got off at Kyoto Station, and then transferred to the limited express Kinosaki. A little far? No, no, we are going to a hot spring resort, and one of the best ways to do this would be to tire yourself out by traveling long distances.
A few seconds' walk from the station brings you to a retro townscape unique to hot spring resorts. The streets are lined with souvenir stores and restaurants, and there is a large selection of gourmet food such as onsen tamago (hot spring eggs), soft-serve ice cream after a hot spring bath, and crab okonomiyaki (⁉︎). There are also snack bars and bars in the back alleys, so you can enjoy a stroll while looking for an evening drink.
While enjoying the elegant townscape, one of the charms of Kinosaki Onsen is its many modern general merchandise stores and cafes. The Toyooka bag specialty store "Kura" also carries "yumoruri bags" and offers special order colors only available here. The limited-edition coffee milk and craft beer from the local area are sure to earn many "likes" on social media. on social networking sites.
Seven outside baths gently warm your cold body.
After thoroughly enjoying the hot spring resort, we started our main task of touring the outside hot springs.
First, present the exchange ticket attached to the bag at the tourist center in front of the station to exchange it for a 1-day free pass. By scanning the voucher into the barcode reader installed at the out-spa reception desk, visitors can bathe as many times as they like during business hours.
【 Satonoyu]
Our first stop was Satonoyu, located right next to the station, where the open-air bath on the third floor offers a panoramic view of the surrounding magnificent mountains and rivers, so aim to take a bath during the daylight hours. In addition to the hot spring water, there are dry and Finnish saunas, and benches next to the open-air baths allow visitors to sit on the benches and enjoy the outdoor air while taking in the spectacular view.
【 Ichinoyu]
Next is Ichinoyu. The specialty here is the cave bath, which was carved out of natural bedrock. You can enjoy a mysterious warm bath experience as if you were in a bathtub in a secret underground base. Incidentally, the name "Ichi-no-yu" comes from the Edo period (1603-1867) famous doctor Shutenori Kagawa, who praised it as "the best hot spring under heaven.
【 Gosho no Yu]
The last place we headed to, "Gosho no Yu," has an attractive open-air garden bath. The baths were recently renovated last year, and while being modern, they also offer a tasteful borrowed scenery. The water is hot, so if you are spending a night or two, it may be a good idea to take a bath before you wake up.
In addition to the ones we were unable to visit this time, Kinosaki Hot Spring has four other facilities: Konoyu, Mandara-yu, Yanagiyu, and Jizoyu. Each of these bathhouses has different effects and different atmospheres. The time you spend thinking about where to go will surely be an enjoyable time.
Synergy created by fashion x tourist attractions.
Now it is the turn of "Masterpiece," the company that planned this project. If you listen to Mr. Fukui of the press, you will understand the true value of the collaboration with Kinosaki Onsen and the functionality and passion that went into the bags.
An unprecedented collaboration between a bag brand and a spa town. Please tell us about the background of this project.
Masterpiece" has its own workshop in Toyooka City, where Kinosaki Hot Springs is located. In the wake of news that the tourism industry was suffering due to the Corona disaster, we proposed collaboration with the idea that we could find a new sense of value by crossing over tourism and production between two companies based in the same area. I thought that by utilizing the craftsmanship that has been cultivated in the soil of fashion, we could create an interesting initiative that has never been seen before.
Have you had any feedback since the launch of the "Yumoruri Bag"?
It seems that people in the neighborhood have already started using the service. I haven't heard anyone say "I'm from Tokyo" yet, but orders from the Kanto area are going very well. The free pass is valid for 5 years, so I hope people will come when they want.
How is the reaction in Taiwan, where you have a directly-managed store?
It sold out in an instant, probably because the hot spring culture is deeply rooted over there. Since Kinosaki has always been a strong inbound hot spring resort, we may see many Taiwanese visitors with free passes when they are able to go overseas. The goal of this project is to let people from all walks of life get to know Kinosaki Onsen, so even if it doesn't lead to immediate visits, we would be very happy if people get to know Kinosaki.
I had the impression that "Masterpiece" was a bag with a lot of functionality, but this time it was a bag that chose functionality over functionality.
That may be true. Normally, we pursue the functionality of bags in our production, but since the "Yumoruri Bag" is made with various hot spring-related scenes in mind, we have stripped it down to the bare minimum of elements that are not necessary for those scenes. However, we consider the fact that people visit Kinosaki Onsen because of this bag as one of the functions of the product. In that sense, you could say that the bag has a full range of functions.
So, it is equipped with features that could only be created in a tourist resort. Are there any key design points?
In collaboration with a hot spring resort, we were conscious of creating a beautiful kinchi-style form. It can be carried as a shoulder bag as well as a yukata, so it goes well with everyday clothes. The contrast between the Japanese-style design and the tech-like nylon is also interesting. And the two sizes, "S" and "L," are not divided by gender, but rather the sizes are designed to accommodate with or without a bath towel. It is said that when the level of bathing is raised, one can wipe the whole body with a single hand towel (laughs).
The design is simple because the functions have been stripped down, so it can be used by both genders. Lastly, what do you think is the most important point of the "Yumoruri Bag," Mr. Fukui?
I guess it was the free pass for the hot spring. I believe that a project involving the entire town could only have been accomplished by working with Kinosaki Onsen, not with other fashion brands. Of course, it can also be used in town baths and for daily use, so we hope that people who pick up this item will always feel close to Kinosaki Onsen. This item is filled with such thoughts.
