Kawayu Onsen Fujiya is a hot-spring inn on the Oto River in Kawayu Onsen, in the Hongu area of Tanabe, Wakayama, close to the Kumano Kodo. It has 31 rooms, and every room faces the river. Before you book, three things matter: the famous river bath, Senninburo, runs only from December to the end of February; in the other months you dig your own riverbed bath; and a free 9:00 shuttle takes guests to the Kumano Kodo trail.
Kawayu Onsen Fujiya at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1452 Kawayu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe, Wakayama 647-1717 |
| Rooms | 31: 27 Japanese-style rooms, 3 Kumano Modern rooms with open-air bath, 1 special room |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–18:00 / 10:00 (Japanese booking page) |
| Hot spring | Sodium bicarbonate chloride spring, free-flowing, water added to cool it |
| Bath hours | 15:00 to 9:00, through the night |
| Prices | From 19,800 yen per person, dinner and breakfast, two to a room |
| Extra charges | Tanabe bathing tax 150 yen per person per day |
| Parking | 30 cars, free |
| Phone | +81-735-42-0007 (7:00–21:30) |
From the official site, booking pages and Tanabe City, read October 16, 2026.
The site calls Fujiya a Government Registered International Tourist Ryokan and links to the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns. Wi-Fi works throughout the building.
The river baths at Kawayu Onsen, season by season
At Kawayu Onsen, hot water rises from the bed of the Oto River, and the inn says the spot where digging the riverbed brings up hot water is only in front of the inn. How you use it depends on the month.
| Season | What you can do |
|---|---|
| December to end of February | Senninburo, a large river bath, 6:30–22:00. Closed when rain raises the river. |
| March to end of November | Dig your own riverbed bath. The inn has not dug one for guests; it lends shovels free (limited numbers). |
From the official bath page, read October 16, 2026.
Bathing wear for guests is sold at the inn: 150 yen for men and 300 yen for women.
The baths inside Fujiya
When are the baths open?
The source rises at about 70°C from 8 m underground, so the inn adds water to bring it to a comfortable temperature; it describes all its baths as free-flowing. Men and women each have an indoor bath and a semi-open-air bath, including a marble bath and a Kishu koyamaki wood bath. They are open from 15:00 to 9:00, through the night; only the indoor baths switch between men and women at midnight.
Is there a private bath?
Yes. The private open-air bath costs 3,300 yen for 45 minutes. Book it after check-in; slots run from 15:30, with the last booking at 21:30.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. The private bath and the in-room baths of the Modern rooms are used without other guests, but ask the inn first. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Rooms at Fujiya
What are the Japanese-style rooms like?
There are 27 Japanese-style rooms of 8 to 14 tatami mats, taking 2 to 5 guests. The pages we read do not say whether these rooms have their own toilet and bath; ask when you book. A special room, Hototogisu, has two Japanese and two Western rooms.
What are the Kumano Modern rooms?
Three rooms, Kajika (54.0 m²), Hotaru and Sekirei (50.6 m² each), each with a free-flowing open-air bath and footbath. The tub is koyamaki wood and the floor Kumano hinoki. Each has two Sealy semi-double beds and takes 2 guests. They are kept as a quiet space for adults, so children cannot use them.
Getting to Fujiya and the Kumano Kodo
Which bus goes to the inn?
The bus stop is Fujiya-mae, in front of the inn. From JR Kii-Tanabe Station the Ryujin Bus takes about 1 hour 50 minutes; from JR Shingu Station, Kumano Kotsu and Nara Kotsu buses take about 1 hour. Nara Kotsu also runs a long route from Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station, about 6 hours. The pages we read do not mention station pickup.
Is there a shuttle to the Kumano Kodo?
Yes. Every morning at 9:00, the inn drives guests free to Hosshinmon-oji or Fushiogami-oji on the Kumano Kodo, by reservation; book it at check-in. Guests with a car follow the inn’s bus to a free parking lot near Kumano Hongu Taisha and ride from there.
Can I drive?
Yes. There is free parking for 30 cars, and tall vans fit.
Meals at Fujiya
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is kaiseki of seasonal Kishu (Wakayama) ingredients, and breakfast is a Japanese set meal. Guests in Japanese-style rooms eat in a banquet room. For the Modern rooms the official pages describe the dinner room differently, so ask the inn if it matters to you. The last dinner starts at 19:00, and the menu can change with the day’s market. If you fish in the river with the free rods and bait (limited numbers), the inn will deep-fry your catch as karaage at dinner.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The official pages do not mention allergies or special diets. Contact the inn before you book.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment at Fujiya
How much does a stay cost?
Per person per night with dinner and breakfast, two to a room, the official booking pages start at 19,800 yen for a Japanese-style room and 28,600 yen for Hotaru or Sekirei (29,700 yen for Kajika). A solo plan in a Japanese-style room starts at 27,500 yen. The Japanese booking page says prices include consumption tax. Tanabe City charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per day, with children under 12 exempt; the pages we read do not say whether it is in the price. Wakayama Prefecture is only considering an accommodation tax. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
The booking page lists children aged 6 to 12 (adult-style or children’s meals), 3 to 5 (children’s meals) and under 3 (no meals), but the amounts were not shown on the pages we read. Check the price for your dates on the booking page.
What is the cancellation policy?
The official booking pages give different cancellation deadlines, and the fee table on the booking page was empty when we read it. Confirm the policy for your plan with the inn before you book. Our hotel cancellation guide explains how fees in Japan work.
How do I pay?
The Japanese and English booking pages describe payment differently. Check the payment method shown for your plan, or ask the inn.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Fujiya
- Come in winter for Senninburo; from March to November you dig your own riverbed bath.
- The ride from Kii-Tanabe takes nearly 2 hours by bus; check bus times before you go.
- Book the 9:00 Kumano Kodo shuttle at check-in.
- Arrive by 18:00, or call ahead; the phone is answered from 7:00 to 21:30.
- Traveling with children? Choose a Japanese-style room, not a Modern room.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bathe in the river at Fujiya?
What time is check-in at Fujiya?
Can I bathe at Fujiya with a tattoo?
Can children stay at Fujiya?
Does Fujiya help with the Kumano Kodo?
Bottom line (2026): Kawayu Onsen Fujiya is a 31-room riverside inn near Kumano Hongu with free-flowing baths, a winter river bath and a free morning shuttle to the Kumano Kodo. Confirm cancellation and payment for your plan, and book on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Fujiya’s official pages: home, about, hot spring, rooms, meals, access and English page, and the Japanese and English booking pages; and from Tanabe City (bathing tax) and Wakayama Prefecture (accommodation tax study). All were read on October 16, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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