Marumitsu Ryokan

I came on an acquaintance’s recommendation and chose the Monkfish All-You-Can-Eat Plan. The meals were packed with fresh, delicious monkfish, and it completely changed what I thought of the fish. We had raw liver, sashimi, fried chicken, steamed monkfish, and hotpot. Every dish was excellent. The building looks old from outside, but the interior and our room were spotlessly clean. The staff were kind and friendly. The bath wasn’t very large, but the water was good, and there’s also a free private bath that could suit couples or families. It was a fantastic two-day, one-night stay. Sometimes it really is nice to travel for the food. I even bought frozen monkfish ramen as a souvenir.

I revisited Marumitsu for the first time in about ten years, wanting raw monkfish liver and dobu-jiru. I still remembered how good the food had been back then. This time I added fried monkfish, cheek meat sashimi, and raw liver to the local fish plan. It seems raw liver is only available here, and it was delicious enough to bring back those old memories. The boiled fish used to be flounder, but it’s black rockfish now, and that was delicious too. The local fish sashimi, including rockfish and rockfish, went well with white wine. Their signature dobu-jiru was seasoned just right, and the rice porridge was good as well. Breakfast’s seafood shabu-shabu was satisfying, and the miso soup was extra large. The landlady was very kind. The hot spring was a good chloride spring, though I prefer warmer water and found all the baths a bit hot except the second private bath from the right. I know chloride springs can be hot depending on the source temperature, but some places make them more comfortable. I also wished the water was a little saltier. I’d recommend this inn to anyone who wants seafood, since they clearly care a lot about monkfish. I’d like to visit again.

I got there ten minutes before opening, but the parking lot was full and I had to wait two hours for a seat. The dobushiru ramen I wanted sold out just in time, so I ordered the limited-time ramen that was available through the end of February instead. It was exactly the flavor I like, and I was really satisfied. Make sure to try the soup with rice after the meal. The wait was worth it.

The value for money was excellent, and I could relax on my own in two of the four private baths, the collagen bath and the space bath. I also used the large public bath first thing in the morning. We stayed one night with dinner and breakfast, including the dobushiru course with rock oysters. The food was presented in a way that made it feel like a seafood inn, and the rice porridge at the end was delicious. Breakfast’s white rice, though, was dry and not very good. I wish they’d improve it.