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Tocen Goshoboh

858 Arimacho, Kita-Ku, Kobe 651-1401 Hyogo Prefecture
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Traveler (335)
Room & Suite (108)
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About

#3 of 21 onsen ryokans in Kobe
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Goshoboh was founded 800 years ago and is the oldest inn in the spa town of Arima, an exceptional spot with astonishing brick-coloured waters. «Gosho», which means «imperial palace», is an echo of the long, feudal era when the establishment was reserved for the nobility. It has maintained its renown and high quality. The region's excellent Kobe beef is also served here.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Hot tub
Bar / lounge
Free shuttle or taxi services
Spa
Baggage storage
Concierge
Wifi
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Shuttle bus service
Car hire
Massage
Non-smoking hotel
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Room features
Air conditioning
Safe
Refrigerator
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Classic
Charming
Languages Spoken
Japanese
176Reviews13Q+A15Room tips
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Juan G Perez wrote a review Oct 2023
Miami, Florida107 contributions59 helpful votes
Wonderful stay, the rooms are beautiful and well appointed. Both dinner and breakfast were outstanding; taste, quality and presentation exceeded our expectations. They provide a yukata as well as toothbrush, hairbrush and razors with shaving cream. The private onsen was a great experience, both the silver and gold baths are fantastic, very few people when we used it and one time was just for us. Very attentive and helpful staff at the front desk. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CMSoon wrote a review Jul 2023
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia140 contributions82 helpful votes
We stayed 2 nights at Tocen Goshoboh at Arima Onsen, Kobe. The Car park is a distance away from the hotel but they provide free car shuttle from hotel to car park from 8;00am to 6;00pm. The hotel is in the centre of the shopping area where you can just walk anywhere you want. Near Mount Rokko about 20 minutes drive to the top if you have a car which we drove, otherwise take the ropeway. The hotel is very Japanese with excellent service, very welcoming and takes time to explain the hotel facilities and guidelines. Front desk staff is helpful and very friendly. The room size is reasonble and totally built with wood. So is not very soundproof and have squeeky sound if walk heavily around. Check in and check out is fast and efficient. There is a restaurant to serve meals which we did not take since is very conveient outside. Most shops are already closed by 6;00pm with only the restaurants open for dinner. It only takes a day or two to explore the whole arima onsen town and spend another half or full day to explore mount Rokko. We took a dip in the onsen about 2-3 times a day which is very refreshing because they charge 150 yen person per night whether you use or not. There is no bathroom to shower in the room, so need to go to the onsen to shower. There is only a toilet and a wash basin face wash in the room. Highly recommend this hotel with excellent service and would stay again in future if go again.
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Date of stay: June 2023
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Arima station is just about 5 minutes walk downhill. There is a bus service operating between...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CH and Su K wrote a review Jun 2023
Perth, Australia46 contributions36 helpful votes
Excellent stay in a historic ryokan. You do get a fee of heritage although everything is well kept and appointed. No faded elegance here. Onsen is great, staff peerless. Valet parking no additional charge if you bring a car. Wooden floorboards can be intrusive with noisy or heavy footed guests in the floor above but I think our experience was the exception rather than the rule. We really enjoyed our stay here.
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Maybe request the upper floor. But then you have more stairs :)
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Maybe S wrote a review Apr 2023
12 contributions13 helpful votes
This hotel is amazing. Perfect hospitality, amazing facilities, great food, beautiful onsen. We stayed as a family, with young children. The children enjoyed it as much as we did. Little touches made us all feel very welcome. This is as close to perfect as we experienced on this trip to Japan. Do not hesitate, book.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: If you can stay in room 502 with a private onsen
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izuj wrote a review Mar 2023
Ohio364 contributions122 helpful votes
+1
Pros: service, amenities, Western and Japanese style rooms, food, location Cons: there is no elevator in this old Japanese building, so prepare to walk up stairs; the wifi reception in our room was not reliable We had an absolutely amazingly relaxing stay during our 3-day-2-night trip, enjoying the peace Tocen Goshobo had to offer, as well as their exceptional customer service. I searched high and low to finally find this ryokan with very specific amenities. Since my elderly parents had issues with getting up from the floor had we stayed in a traditional ryokan only, while I wanted to enjoy the full traditional ryokan experience, the Deluxe Suite with Private Hot Spring and Sauna was the perfect compromise for both our wants and needs. The Deluxe Suite has both two full sized western beds that were perfect for my parents, and the tatami sitting room that could be closed off for me to sleep in with my super comfy futon bedding. By no means is the room and experience itself a compromise, as my father kept calling it the ‘Presidential suite’ since it was on the top floor, and we had abundant space with our own onsen attached to the room! The room can fit 6 total guests, and has a secret playroom, a seating nook/area with perfect natural light, a dining room with regular table and chairs (in other ryokans, my tall Caucasian husband commented on how much he missed having actual chairs with space for your legs to stretch when seated), an office, a powder room, two bidet toilets rooms, a space to prepare tea with its own sink in the tatami room, and let’s not forget the massage chair. The room was clean, tastefully appointed, had everything we needed and plenty of space to either gather, or spend some ‘me time’. We opted for breakfast and dinner at the inn, which we looked forward to each day. The breakfast was pleasant and filling, while the kaiseki dinners were amazing. Kobe beef was featured as well as plenty of seafood both nights. We had a great time with our host, Yoshinori Tatebe-san, who tolerated my many questions of ‘what is this?’ or ‘how do we eat this?!’; his professionalism absolutely made our meals a tremendous delight! The location of the ryokan/onsen is ideal, walking distance to everything and right next to a bus stop. It’s in the heart of the Arima area, which has many temples, restaurants, and shops to explore. One cannot deny the outstanding customer service Tocen Goshobo’s team offers. Shout out to Hatsumi and Matsu at the front desk, making sure we were well taken care of, offering absolutely above and beyond service! When Hatsumi was helping me get settled on my first day arrival, I had asked her about the beautiful tokonoma (alcove) that was in the washitsu (tatami room). Unfortunately, I had asked so many questions she couldn’t quite answer me fully! A few days later, she showed me a note where she apparently took the time to think over my question and write it out in English so I would understand the importance of the alcove and its ties to a deity. I was absolutely taken and thoroughly impressed by her professionalism and thoughtfulness, to spend the time to answer my questions well after they were asked in great detail! Thanks for the incredible stay!
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Date of stay: February 2023
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Room Tip: There's many steps so if you're not good going up and down, this might really deter you from...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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VancTraveller wrote a review Dec 2022
Vancouver1702 contributions310 helpful votes
+1
I stayed for one night at Tocen Goshobo on a half board basis with included breakfast and dinner. I selected Tocen Goshobo partly because there were not that many ryokans at Arima Onsen that could be booked through the common booking sites like Expedia.com or Booking.com, partly because it was one of the few that accepts bookings for one person staying in a room alone (many ryokans have a minimum booking requirement of two persons in a room), and partly because it was located right in the town. On an earlier visit to Arima Onsen, I stayed at Hyoe Koyokaku and since it was located up the hill, I tended to stay inside the ryokan once I checked in since it would be quite a walk back down to town and an even harder trek back up to the ryokan. In the case of the Tocen Goshobo, it is literally on the next block from the bus station where the Hankyu highway bus from Osaka station arrives so very convenient for access from Osaka, and the ryokan is right next to the main shopping street winding uphill so great for strolling about town as well. My stay was in mid-November, which was a very good time to be at Arima Onsen as the fall foliage was on full display with beautiful hues of orange and red on the trees all around town. There is a small temple right across the street from Tocen Goshobo, up a small flight of steps up the hill and it made a great backdrop for some photos of the fall colors, as was the footbridge across the river just steps from the bus station. By the time I booked, there was only one type of room available – a superior Japanese Western room on the 2nd floor (room 22) with Western twin beds on a tatami mat area with a small Japanese seating area, a Western style dining room type room with a table and 2 chairs, an enclosed balcony area with a small desk and chair and a very good massage chair, and a toilet and sink (no shower or bath since one can wash in the large public bath on the same floor). The room is very spacious at over 40 sq metres. While the beds were comfortable and I slept very well, I would have preferred sleeping in a futon on the tatami mats. While the room was more Western than my preference, nonetheless I appreciated the beautiful wood floors, furniture and decorative features and the impeccable condition everything was maintained in. The ryokan itself is similarly beautiful and well maintained. The wood floors may creak in the way but they are beautifully polished and swept clean (I saw all the staff rush about cleaning on check out day from morning onward to prepare for the next batch of guests to check in at 3 pm and they seemed tremendously focused and dedicated to making everything perfect). There also nice quirky touches like the library on the main floor at the back of the ryokan, with atmospheric antique furnishings and a nice view out to the street in front with fall colors foliage on full display right across the street. Because the ryokan is not very large with only 20 rooms, its public bath for guests is also relatively small. The men’s area has a regular water shallow indoor pool for warming up the body and then a narrow walkway to the semi-outdoor bath with Arima’s “gold” spring water (kinsen). While the water in the outdoor bath appears red-brown, the “gold” spring water as it comes out of the spring is actually colorless and only takes on the reddish-brown hue on contact with the air due to the oxidation of its high iron content. The kinsen water also has very high salt content so the helpful guide found in the room recommends washing off thoroughly after soaking in the spring to wash off the salt. The spring water is also fairly hot so the in room guide recommends sitting in the bath only about 10 minutes at a time so as not to overheat the body. The kinsen water is supposed to be very good for the skin and I did think my skin was much softer after my several trips to the semi-outdoor bath. The bath is unusual in that although it is separated for men and women, there is only a low rock wall between the men and women sections so if one actually stood up, one would be able to see over to the other side. That is why the in room guide reminds guests to half crouch walk into the bath so as not to infringe on the privacy of the other gender. The low rock wall does allow men and women who are travelling together to chat to each other as they sit on either side of the rock wall. The semi-outdoor bath is built like a rock enclosure as if one were bathing in the mountains in a cozy rock pond and while there is a roof over the whole of the bath, the entire front of the bath is open to the outdoor (with a hedge for privacy) - open enough to let in the cold air from the November chill which made sitting in a hot spring bath all the more enjoyable. Because the ryokan has so few rooms, I found most of the time I had the men’s side of the outdoor bath to myself so it felt very private and peaceful. An integral part of a ryokan stay is the food. My room had a meal plan with dinner and breakfast served in the small restaurant in the ryokan next to the reception area. There was no option for dining in the room by the time I booked but I actually preferred dining in the restaurant anyway as I always found it a bit awkward to dine in room where you have to keep your room door unlocked and where you never quite know when staff would bring in the next course of your dinner so you tend to rush your eating a bit to make sure you are finished by the time they bring you the next course. At the small restaurant, there was no such problem as there is a cooking area right in the corner where the chef is cooking away and he and the server can time the delivery of the courses as they can see your progress through your meal. There were probably less than 20 seats in the restaurant, separated into tables of two or four and guests seemed to have their dining times staggered so service was very prompt. Dinner was a multi course affair brought to you course by course – starters including sashimi, a braised fish dish, a grilled fish dish, tempura, beef, rice and miso soup and dessert. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful and generally the food was good – not outstanding but good. I have uploaded photos of each course of my dinner to Tripadvisor with this review. Breakfast next morning was again served in the small on-site restaurant. It started with a tofu dish already cooked in a large wood encased hotpot box already set at your table, and then followed with a tray with salad, appetizers, clam soup, rice and grilled salmon. It was a little disappointing as the salmon was a bit dry. After breakfast, I had enough time before checkout to have a quick coffee in the library. The coffee was delicious so I would recommend not forgetting to stop by the library at one of the designated times when coffee is served. The library had floor to ceiling windows looking out to the street but with trees planted in front to partly obscure the view so passerbys to not stare too directly into the room so it was a nice bright space to enjoy a coffee. Overall, I enjoyed my stay at Tocen Goshobo. I think it is a beautiful ryokan, my room was very large and comfortable and the onsen bath was very nice and private. Food was fine. Compared to other onsen ryokans at Arima, Tocen Goshobo is relatively less expensive so I thought it provided good value for the price. I loved the location in town right next to the Hankyu bus station as it was very convenient for arrival from and departure to Osaka, and for exploring the town a bit.
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Date of stay: November 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Thomas606 wrote a review Dec 2019
Singapore, Singapore136 contributions20 helpful votes
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We decided to book this onsen hotel based the rating given. The Hotel is located right next to the Arima bus terminal. We can access the arima onsen region either from Kyoto or from Osaka via Hankyu express bus. Once you step into the hotel, you step into history. The hotel does not have a lift, and access to your room is by stairs. All our luggage were sent out to our respective rooms by them. You need to take off your shoes before entering the hotel. Slippers would be provided for you. You would realise that time has stopped at its hotel doorstep. As we were there during weekends, there were street performances across the street. We booked a room with garden view. Both rooms share a nice garden. The onsen for the sexes is divided by a low wall. The onsen is refreshing and intimate. It has a boutique feel to the hotel. Both our breakfast were a fine dining experience with produces from neighbouring areas. This also applied to our dinner on the second night. Most cafes in the arima onsen are closed by 5 pm. Having a late dinner is quite difficult if we are travelling with oldies and teenagers. We may need to patronise the 7-11 for a quick bites. Lunch is not an issue.
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Date of stay: December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Mr Li wrote a review Nov 2019
Singapore, Singapore269 contributions62 helpful votes
+1
It’s my first time in a roykan and this place was wonderful! If you take the Hankyu bus, the terminal is literally 10 steps from this hotel. We came from Osaka and had two large suitcases, everyone around us had a small weekend duffle (which I’ll tell you later). You are greeted with a lot of staff and rows of grey slippers lined up perfectly straight. When you check in, they make you pay ¥300 for “bathing tax.” Our room was on the 3rd floor, it had a western style reading area with a Japanese style living room area, which will be converted into a sleeping area while you have your dinner. The hotel provided you with your Japanese style robes, socks and towels. We went to the onsen before dinner. And after the onsen, we changed back to our normal clothes. We went to the front desk and we changed from the grey slippers to black slippers. When we got to the dinner room, everyone was wearing in their robes, perhaps that’s why everyone packed light, the hotel provided everything for you! For breakfast we worn our robes haha. Both the dinner and breakfast were excellent. Such an amazing experience!
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Date of stay: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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SANsna wrote a review Oct 2019
San Diego253 contributions177 helpful votes
I have made a goal of visiting many of the famous onsen towns in Japan. This year, I decided to visit Arima Onsen. I started looking for a traditional ryokan to stay at. Tocen Goshoboh has a long history and is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) traditional onsen in Arima. Reading the other reviews, I felt that it would offer a great experience. Tocen Goshoboh has a convenient location that is close to everything that you would be interested in doing at Arima. It is located very close to the bus station and just a short 5 to 10 minute walk from the train station. Arima is hilly and most of the hotels and ryokans are uphill from the train station. Tocen Goshoboh is one of the closest and you won't have to walk far with your luggage. You can also arrange to be picked up or dropped off at the train station in advance. My wife and I arrive too early to check in but they were happy to hold our luggage so that we can explore the town. The staff was extremely polite and helpful from the moment we entered the check-in area. They are strict about check-in time but you can easily spend a few hours exploring the town of Arima. When we returned, our room was ready and our luggage was already brought into our room. I booked the private onsen at an additional cost and also time in their private garden (Shihoan) which has a bath but isn't hot spring. The check-in was fast and they were able to communicate in English. When we got to our room, we saw instructions in English for Tocen Goshoboh that describes everything you would need to know. The room that I got was a Tenraku room which was very traditional and roomy. Since all the Tenraku rooms were in the oldest part of the building, it did have a slight smell in the beginning. However, the room was clean and well appointed. There is a free drink and cake service around 5:00 pm in the library. This was also a very nice touch. The private onsen that we booked was actually not in Tocen Goshoboh but actually a 10 minute walk away. The front desk will give you a key and a map on how to find the building. Once you get there, you will have the option of both a gold and silver hot spring. It does cost extra but you get the hot spring to yourself and you don't have to be segregated. The hot spring at Tocen Goshoboh was very good and unique in that the wall separating the men and women actually ends at a certain point. This actually allowed my wife and I to have a conversation while sitting in the hot spring. I felt that this was very unique and made it more enjoyable. We had the half board option which included both dinner and breakfast. Both meals were great and had a big variety. You wouldn't be leaving either meal hungry. I have stayed at quite a few ryokan and Tocen Goshoboh's meals were just as good and you do get to taste Kobe beef (Tajima) if you opt for it. Overall, the service, the traditional feel of the building, and the incredible hot springs would make me stay at Tocen Goshoboh again!
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Date of stay: September 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Hdu wrote a review Oct 2019
Melbourne, Australia6 contributions2 helpful votes
Good: close to public transport, easy access, nice staff Bad: It's an old building, so i was not surprised about the mould/old smell especially on L2. But was shocked when we found a big cockroach wandering around L1 corridor. Hygine is really important to me. For the price we paid, would not recommend to anyone.
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
₱16,465 - ₱68,194 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
tosen goshobo hotel kobe
LOCATION
JapanKinkiHyogo PrefectureKobeArima Onsen
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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TOCEN GOSHOBOH - UPDATED 2023 Onsen Ryokan Reviews & Price Comparison (Kobe, Japan) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Tocen Goshoboh
Which popular attractions are close to Tocen Goshoboh?
Nearby attractions include Arima Toy Museum (0.07 km), Tanasangen Park (0.4 km), and Arima River Kasen Shinsui Park (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Tocen Goshoboh?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Tocen Goshoboh?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Tocen Goshoboh?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Tocen Goshoboh?
Conveniently located restaurants include Takenaka Meat, Muragen, and Kutsurogiya.
Are there any historical sites close to Tocen Goshoboh?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Yodoko Guesthouse (7.9 km), Arima Honkaido (0.2 km), and Taiko No Yudono Kan (0.2 km).