Ryokan Murayama
旅館むら山
Does Ryokan Murayama allow tattoos? In a private bath
Ryokan Murayama, a wooden inn under Mount Matsukura on the west side of Takayama, doubled its free private hot spring baths to two so that guests wait less for one.
Ryokan Murayama publishes no tattoo rule. It has two private hot spring baths, Take and Matsu, that guests use free of charge, so a tattooed guest can bathe in the spring without entering the shared men's or women's bath.
The bath
The inn tells the story of its water this way: snow from the Northern Alps melts, sinks underground over a long time and comes up in Takayama as a hot spring. The source is Matsukura Yunoyama Onsen, a simple spring that is weakly alkaline at pH 8.2 and low in temperature. The inn describes the water as slightly thick and says it leaves skin smooth. Because it is mild and unlikely to tire a bather, the inn says it is known as a family spring, safe for children and older guests. It lists the water for neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, bruises, sprains, poor circulation and fatigue.
Two private baths, Take and Matsu, are filled from that spring and cost nothing. There used to be one; the inn built a second to shorten the wait. A couple or a family takes a bath to themselves, and nobody else comes in.
The men's and women's baths were rebuilt in December 2018 in a modern Japanese style, and each gained shower booths. The tubs are indoors, tiled, with a window to the outside.
The hotel
Murayama is a small wooden inn built in the manner of an old farmhouse, with heavy beams in the rooms. Rooms are Japanese style: a 16-mat room with a high ceiling, a 10-mat and an 8-mat room in the annex, and 10-mat rooms in the main building. The owner cooks the meals himself, seasonal kaiseki (a multi-course Japanese meal) and Hida beef dishes, with river fish grilled over charcoal at a sunken hearth. Dinner is served in a tatami hall or in half-private rooms. At dusk the owner lights a wood fire in the lounge fireplace. Stays are sold with two meals, with breakfast only, or without meals.
Good to know
- Both private baths are free. They run on the same spring as the main baths.
- Phone from the station for the shuttle, which the inn runs until 5:30 p.m.; after that, take a taxi.
- Hida no Sato is a 10-minute walk. The open-air museum of old Hida farmhouses is the nearest sight to the inn.
- Bathing tax is ¥150 a person, added to the bill.
Getting there
From Nagoya Station the JR Hida limited express on the Takayama Main Line takes about 2 hours to Takayama Station, by the inn's count. From Shin-Osaka the inn suggests the Shinkansen to Nagoya, 50 minutes, then the Hida. From Takayama Station a taxi takes about 5 minutes. The inn also sends a shuttle to the station if you phone, until 5:30 p.m. It publishes no walking time from the station. The old town streets are about 10 minutes away by car.
Takayama STN · JR Takayama Main Line
Not walkable.
Shuttle from Takayama Station on request by phone until 5:30 p.m.; about 5 minutes by taxi.
Where it is
Takayama STN
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass ¥19,800 · 5 consecutive days Worth it if Gero, Shirakawa-go or Kanazawa is on the same trip.
- Japan Rail Pass from ¥53,000 · 7, 14 or 21 days For a trip that takes in several regions by Shinkansen and JR lines.
What happens when you arrive
Skip the shared baths and use a private bath.
How we know
Bath layout confirmed, tattoo policy not published Checked on the official site (: the home page greeting says the free hot spring private baths now number two, and the hot spring page names them)
Best for: two free private hot spring baths at a small wooden inn by Hida no Sato
The private baths are named Take (bamboo) and Matsu (pine). The inn added the second so guests wait less for a turn. Both use the same spring as the main baths, Matsukura Yunoyama Onsen, a weakly alkaline simple spring of pH 8.2. The men's and women's baths were rebuilt in December 2018 with shower booths. A bathing tax of ¥150 a person is charged on top of the stay. The station shuttle runs on request by phone until 5:30 p.m.
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