Peel away the suppurating clutter, the shabby, postwar surface of construction that is often passed off as modernity, and there is at the center of most Japanese towns a historical kernel, a core essence waiting to be discovered. Finding these places is a quest of sorts, requiring patience and a cultivated insensitivity to the eyesores that assault those who undertake these hopeful, largely rewarding searches.

One such place with a traditional core that is not immediately apparent on arrival is Arima Onsen, an agreeable 30-minute trip from Kobe. Arima sits on the north slope of Mount Rokko, in a green valley at the confluence of three rivers. First impressions, however, are not encouraging.

Giant, ferro-concrete hotels resembling dam walls disfigure the surrounding hills, hotel touts assail passersby, and parking attendants bark at arriving tour buses.