Marui Ryokan (in Japanese, Magokoro no Yado Marui) is a small family inn in Ryujin village, in the mountains of Wakayama. It has been run on the same spot since 1927, and its motto is hospitality with handmade food. Before you book, three things matter: most rooms have a toilet but no bath; the hot-spring baths are across the road, reached by an underground passage and stairs; and the inn sits in the village center, about 15 km from the main Ryujin Onsen baths toward Shirahama.
Marui Ryokan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 9-2 Ryujinmura-Nishi, Tanabe, Wakayama (on Route 425) |
| Phone | +81-739-78-0018 (8:00–19:00) |
| Rooms | 13, all Japanese-style, all non-smoking |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–19:00 / 10:00 |
| Hot spring | Ryujin Komatagawa spring, sodium bicarbonate, clear |
| Baths | One cypress indoor bath each for men and women |
| Meals | Dinner in your room, breakfast in the dining room |
| Price | From 15,840 yen per person, two to a room, tax included |
| Parking | Free, 10 cars, in front of the inn |
From the official site and booking page, read October 16, 2026.
Rooms at Marui Ryokan
What kind of rooms are there?
All 13 rooms are tatami rooms, and the basic room is 8 mats for up to four people. The inn says it fits up to 40 guests but is full at about 30, since most guests are individual travelers. Each room has a TV, air conditioning and heating, a safe, an empty fridge, a hair dryer and a kettle, and the landlady makes a beanbag toy for every room. Free Wi-Fi reaches all rooms in the main building, but not the baths, the corridors or the banquet hall.
| Room | Guests | Rooms | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 mats | 1–2 | 2 | Toilet and washbasin |
| 8 mats | 2–4 | 5 | Toilet and washbasin |
| 12 mats (two rooms) | 2–5 | 1 | Unit bath and toilet |
| 10 + 6 mats | 2–4 | 1 | Toilet, washbasin, bath (not hot spring) |
| 16 mats | 4–6 | 1 | Toilet and washbasin |
| Shared type | – | 3 | Shared toilet and washbasin |
From the official Japanese rooms page and FAQ, read October 16, 2026.
Is there an elevator?
No. Rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors and you move by stairs. There is no coin laundry, and pets and outside food and drink are not allowed.
The Ryujin hot-spring baths at Marui Ryokan
What is the hot spring like?
The water is the Ryujin Komatagawa spring, which the inn calls another source rising alongside Ryujin Onsen. It is a clear sodium bicarbonate spring. The large baths are built entirely of cypress, with one indoor bath each for men and women and a view of the Hidaka River and the mountains. They are open 15:30–22:30 and again 6:00–9:30. The official pages list indoor baths only.
How do I get to the baths?
The baths are in a separate building on the river side of the road. From the lobby you go down stairs and through Ryugadoko, an underground passage beneath the national road. Allow for the stairs if you travel with heavy bags or limited mobility.
Can I use the bath privately?
There is no dedicated private bath, but on weekdays only, up to two groups a day can use an indoor bath privately, from 14:00 to 15:00 or from 22:30 to 23:15. Ask when you book.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos, so ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Marui Ryokan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is a handmade Kyoto-style kaiseki of mountain and river food, served in your room (sometimes in a separate private room), with a homemade plum wine aperitif. Signature dishes include a small pot of Kumano beef shabu-shabu, lotus-root mochi in kudzu sauce (limited numbers) and fried organic taro. From early June to about October, salt-grilled ayu sweetfish is grilled to your mealtime. Dinner starts at 17:30, 18:00, 18:30 or 19:00 (last). Breakfast is a healthy Japanese set with steamed vegetables in the first-floor dining room, at 7:30, 8:00 or 8:30 (last).
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
For allergies, the inn says it will do what it can depending on the type, and asks you to give the details when you book. The official pages say nothing about vegetarian, vegan or halal meals.
Getting to Marui Ryokan in Ryujin village
From JR Kii-Tanabe Station, take the Ryujin Bus bound for Ryujin Onsen, about 60 minutes, and get off at the Marui Ryokan stop; the inn is a one-minute walk. Kii-Tanabe is about 2 hours 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka on the Super Kuroshio express. The official pages mention no pickup, but the inn will send you the bus timetable if you ask.
From Koyasan, a reservation-only pilgrimage bus runs once a day in the morning from April 1 to November 30, except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See our Koyasan guide if you are combining the two. By car, it is about 50 minutes from the Nanki-Tanabe interchange, or about 90 minutes from Koyasan on the Koya-Ryujin Skyline, which closes at night (17:00–7:00) from mid-December to late March.
Prices and rules at Marui Ryokan
How much does a stay cost?
On the official booking page, with dinner and breakfast, plans start at 15,840 yen per person for two in a 6-mat room, tax included (the autumn plan, as of October 16, 2026), and the Kumano beef gourmet plan starts at 23,870 yen. No deposit is needed. Tanabe City charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per adult per day, paid at checkout; children under 12 are exempt. Neither Tanabe nor Wakayama has an accommodation tax; the prefecture says it is only considering one. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
Can children stay?
Yes, the FAQ says children are welcome, and elementary school children get the same food as adults. Some plans do not take children, including the autumn plan “Ukiuki Aki-tabi,” so check the plan first.
What is the cancellation policy?
The rooms page lists 20 percent from 5 days before, 30 percent from 3 days before, 50 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. A plan’s own rule takes priority. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
The booking page offers payment at the inn or online by card. At the inn, Visa, Mastercard, NICOS, UFJ, UC, AEON and other cards are accepted.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Marui Ryokan
- The inn is in the village center, not on the main Ryujin Onsen bath street, which is about 15 km away.
- Expect stairs: no elevator, and the baths are down through an underground passage.
- Most rooms have no bath, and three share a toilet.
- Arrive by 19:00; the last dinner start is 19:00.
- Questions can go to mail@ryujin-marui.com; the inn notes replies may be slow when staff are away.
Frequently asked questions
Do the rooms at Marui Ryokan have a private bath?
What time is check-in at Marui Ryokan?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Marui Ryokan?
What is the cancellation policy at Marui Ryokan?
How do I get to Marui Ryokan from Kii-Tanabe Station?
Bottom line (2026): Marui Ryokan is a family inn in Ryujin village with cypress hot-spring baths and Kumano beef kaiseki in your room. Plan for stairs and shared bathing, arrive by 19:00, and book on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Marui Ryokan’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, hot spring, facilities, food, FAQ and access, and the official booking page; taxes are from Tanabe City (bathing tax) and Wakayama Prefecture (accommodation tax). All were read on October 16, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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