Taketoritei Maruyama - A Tattoo-Friendly Hot Spring in Arima Onsen, Hyogo

Steam rises from the hillside above Arima, and the brown-gold kinsen water is already running before you reach your room. Taketoritei Maruyama sits on a high slope overlooking the rooftops of one of Japan's oldest hot spring towns, with views stretching across to the Rokko mountains and the Sanda plain beyond.

What sets this ryokan apart is structural: there are no communal baths. All eight onsen here are private — four indoor, four outdoor — bookable by guests on a reserve-the-next-as-you-leave system. Both kinsen and ginsen flow through the facility, so you can move between Arima's famous iron-rich gold water and its clear silver spring across different sessions. Several rooms also include their own in-suite onsen fed by ginsen, which means you can soak without leaving your floor.

Evenings set the rhythm. Kaiseki dinner arrives in a private dining room, the hillside lights up outside the bath windows, and the town below goes quiet. If you want a ryokan stay in Arima where every bath is yours alone — and privacy is built into the design — Taketoritei Maruyama is the clearest option in town.

• Every Bath Is Private: All eight onsen are kashikiri — four outdoor, four indoor, both kinsen and ginsen. No communal bathing exists here, so tattooed guests can bathe in complete privacy without navigating policy.
• Two Spring Types, One Stay: Arima's gold kinsen and clear ginsen are both piped through the facility — rare even in Arima, where most ryokan offer one or the other in their private options.
• Hilltop Panorama: The highest vantage in the Arima onsen district, with mountain views from the outdoor baths and several guest rooms that extend across the Rokko range and Sanda plain.
• Repeat-Visit Reputation: Guests consistently return, citing staff attentiveness and English-speaking support that makes first-time ryokan stays easy to navigate — from shuttle pickup to bath booking to kaiseki protocol.

The kinsen hits your skin heavy and warm — rust-brown water with a mineral weight you feel immediately. The outdoor baths sit on the hillside above the town, open to mountain air and, in the evening, a view of Arima's lit rooftops below. Regulars point to baths #2 and #4 for the best outdoor experience.

Inside, the ginsen baths run clear and lighter on the skin — a different sensation entirely from the iron-rich gold water. The temperature is typically set around 41–42°C but adjustable in each room. The reserve-next system means you can try several baths across a stay without competing for slots. Book an evening session if you can — the contrast between hot water and cool mountain air sharpens after dark, and the hillside view changes character completely once the lanterns come on.

✈️ Kansai International Airport (KIX) → 🚄 Airport Express to Osaka/Sannomiya → 🚌 Direct Bus to Arima Onsen (total 2 hours)

🚄 Shin-Osaka Station → 🚄 JR to Sannomiya Station → 🚌 Direct Bus to Arima Onsen (total 90 minutes)

🚇 Sannomiya Station (Kobe) → 🚌 Direct Bus to Arima Onsen (40 minutes)

🚌 Arima Onsen Bus Terminal → 🚕 Free hotel shuttle (reservation required) or 10-minute walk

Reservations are highly recommended, especially during peak seasons (cherry blossom, autumn leaves, and Japanese holidays). The ryokan offers an English booking page and responds to email inquiries within 24 hours.

🌐 Website: www.taketoritei.com

📞 Phone: +81-78-904-0666

📍 Address: 1302-4 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 651-1401, Japan