Maruyama Kousen Ryokan

Maruyama Kosen Ryokan sits in the satoyama landscape of Yokoze near Chichibu. Its old building and tatami rooms carry a rustic, slightly weathered atmosphere, balanced by renewed furnishings and careful cleaning in the guest areas.

The bath uses heated kosen mineral water rather than a naturally hot spring. Large indoor and open-air bathing provide room to unwind, but the medicinal-herb bath once associated with the inn is currently suspended.

Dinner gives the property its clearest rural identity. Wild-boar dishes, tofu and other foothill ingredients are prepared generously, with hot items cooked to order. Maruyama is a good match for travellers interested in game cuisine and an unfussy country stay near Chichibu, provided they value atmosphere and food more than modern finish or an elaborate onsen circuit.