Minshuku Marukei

What surprised me most was how completely I slept. I usually wake easily when I travel, but here I slept right through until the innkeeper came to get me up. I’d been hoping to visit Marukei for years after seeing it on YouTube, and finally stayed on November 23rd and 24th, during the latter part of the long weekend. Getting there by public transport was easy enough, and spotting the Marukei sign from the Shojiko Minshuku Mura bus stop was a relief. The room looked out across Mt. Fuji, and the meal was a colorful spread of mountain and sea ingredients. The hospitality was attentive, and the baths being open around the clock was a nice extra. Fog kept me from seeing the stars this time, but I pictured how lovely the rooftop would be on a clear night. At check-in, they gave me vegetables grown there, thoughtfully packed so they’d be easier to take home. On the way out we walked to the Akaike bus stop. A slightly earlier start would have let us see the autumn leaves too.

The landlady sent us off with fresh vegetables, and that kind of generous welcome really stayed with me. My friend and I came for one night, October 16th to 17th, with dinner and breakfast included. It was the quiet season, so we were the only guests. Paintings and decorations throughout gave the place a lovely feel. Dinner was a huge spread: nameko and shiitake mushrooms, sashimi, smelt, meat grilled with homemade miso, and crisp tempura vegetables from their own farm, among other things. We ate and drank so much I lost count of the beers. Breakfast was just as lavish, and I ended up completely full again. The bath is a decent size for a guesthouse, with room for about three adults, and the bath with medicinal stones is open 24 hours. It even left my middle-aged dry skin feeling smooth. The whole stay was refreshing. Minshuku Marukei, I’ll definitely come back!

The rooftop has a fantastic view of Mt. Fuji, and I’d happily stay here again. I came without meals. There’s no air conditioning in the room, but the heater, kotatsu, and down comforter kept me comfortable, including at night. The staff explained how everything worked and answered my questions, which made the stay easy.

We had the place to ourselves and could really relax. The bath was spacious and available any time, the toilet was Western-style, and the tap water, apparently natural spring water, tasted great. When we left, the lady gave us vegetables she’d picked from the farm. We were so happy and enjoyed them at home. We came in summer to cool off in the Jukai forest. With the windows open, the room was breezy and comfortable, even though there was only a fan and no air conditioning. The farm vegetables in the meals were delicious, and the huge, juicy shiitake mushrooms were especially memorable. At night, though, insects, mostly winged ants, came through the screen door gaps in such numbers that it barely felt like a screen. We shut the windows and made do with the fan.