From reading guide books and online research, it seems that the best place to book an Onsen Ryokan is either japanican.com or japanesegusethouses.com. Japaneseguesthouses seems to provide more detailed information but is one any better that the other for booking?

Any thoughts, experiences or suggestions would be appreciated.

Any recommendations for a Ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen would also be appreciated!

I use both of those sites for information. I have booked places through japanican and maybe JGH

I enjoyed staying at Mikuniya in Kinosaki Onsen. They accepted me as a solo traveler. It is a short easy walk from the station and near shops and restaurants. It is a short easy walk to the street where the baths are.

I think of the main streets of KO as an L. There is a street from the station that intersects the street with all of the baths. Mikuniya is about half-way up the street from the station. Keep going and one of the baths is on an opposite corner and the rest are on the cross-street to the left.

If you are planning to wear yukata and geta from your ryokan and walk between the baths, then I suggest staying on that street near/among the baths rather than on the street where Mikuniya is.

I booked Mikuniya using their website after searching for places at japanicn.

I also stayed at Mikuniya back in 2014. I booked directly with them through email - I don't remember where I found them - possibly on japan-guide....I have found that with the accommodation sites such as japanican, rakuten or JGH often they say no single guests but if you contact the inn directly they will accept you sometimes with a small surcharge...

We stayed at Mikiya in Kinosaki. Loved it! It's been owned by the same family for something like 300 years. The young man who runs it now was unique in that he went to university to learn about hotel management, then came home to run the family inn! The staff were amazing, food was 5 star, and it is right in the middle of the onsens. I would love to return sometime.
We booked them through Booking.com, though I see they no longer book for Mikiya. I usually check them first, then Japaneseguesthouses, Japanican, Rakuten, and of course the ryokans' own websites. It takes a while to comparison shop, but I usually find one of them will have a a better deal than the others..

Thanks for the suggestions . Mikuniya was on my list of possibles along with Yamamtoya and the oddly named Kinosaki Tourism Hotel Higashiyamasou. Mikiya is anew one to me so I shall take a look at that too.

Both rates and availability do seem to vary quite widely between sites. I may be looking a little too soon as we don’t go until January .

Thank you for the suggestion musvin. I hadn’t heard of Moryzuya which does look good it has been added to my increasingly long shortlist.

Morizuya looks like it is in a good spot. It is on the canal street, the cross-street that I mentioned above. Closer to the onsens is better, esp in Jan weather.

Musvin - would you mind sharing how you booked Morizuya. I have tried direct email but the manager’s command of English is only slightly better than mine of Japanese! we don’t seem ro be getting very far!

Their website has an English reservation form to fill out....didn't that work?
https://appod2.net/ape/morizuya.com/c_inquiry/ja01/

Thanks Mara. I did see that form I haven’t used that yet as I had a few questions I wanted to ask first. The problem seems to be getting the answers (or indeed a reply) . I may well just fill that form in and hope for the best!

Many thanks musvin. It was showing up as full on booking.com but I have just checked and is now open for business. I think will just take the line of least resistance and book there. The rate seems to be identical.