Minshuku Katsumaru

October 11, 2025. I stopped by while fishing at Inatori Port and had the course with simmered golden-eyed snapper and a boat-shaped platter. They brought out crab miso soup as I was making my way through the rice. The snapper was delicious, and it was big enough to separate from the bones easily, so it was easy to eat.

I'm really into Izu guesthouses, and Katsumaru was one I'd been wanting to try for a while. It's up on a hill away from Inatori's hot spring town. My room was a bit of a walk, but it had a nice ocean view. I came hoping for the boat-shaped platter and simmered golden-eyed snapper, and both were satisfying. I was there to fish in Inatori, so the location suited me. It might be less convenient if you're coming to swim in summer. The owner and his wife were both very nice, and I'd be glad to visit again.

The standout for me was the simmered sea bream and its broth, both incredibly delicious. The barley tea was good too. Beyond that, the food was a letdown. The sashimi was disappointing, with salmon, black tuna, and something that seemed supermarket-bought. The sea bream shabu-shabu was bland, though the vegetables were good. Fried and grilled shrimp seemed to be the same thing. The grilled shrimp had too much mayonnaise and was awful, and the fried ones were thin and awful too. The salted squid was far too salty, and the pickles tasted store-bought. It gave me the impression they put effort into the sea bream and sashimi, but bought the rest elsewhere instead of making it in-house. In the dining room, the rice cooker was right on the tatami, and everyone had to sit down to serve themselves, which was awkward. Breakfast was meager: ham with mayonnaise, a small dried horse mackerel, and self-serve coffee in a packet, despite being told coffee was available. The hot spring felt almost like plain water and smelled bad. We had to lay out our own futons, there were no bath towels, the shared toilet smelled a bit and included a Japanese-style toilet, and there was no toothbrush cup. Maybe none of those little things would matter if the food were luxurious and the hot spring good, but with everything feeling shabby, they stood out. It appears on YouTube a lot, but I wonder if people actually return. Would Itoen be better? Was this place better in the past? When I called to book, a strange older woman who seemed to be a relative answered. She said she didn't know anything about fish, that it wasn't very tasty, and asked who I was. It's probably better to have someone else answer the phone. The food is delicious. I can imagine some people being put off by that woman.

I've been coming here during the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival for 10 years, and I always order the golden-eyed shabu-shabu course. The next morning's miso soup has golden-eyed smelt head in it, and everything tastes so gentle and delicious. The bath is small, but the circulated and filtered hot spring water warms you right through when you're cold. There's a kotatsu in the Japanese-style room, so it's easy to relax, and the window has a beautiful view of Oshima.