Last checked: October 14, 2026
Want to cast a line in a quiet bay in the afternoon, then slip into a cave bath before dinner? Hotel Urashima in Katsuura, Wakayama, lets you do both. You reach the hotel by shuttle boat from Katsuura harbor, and Klook’s praise centers on the cave baths. The fishing corner in the main building is the quieter bonus: ¥1,000 gets you a rod, bait and a bucket.
We built this guide from the hotel’s website, the Klook listing and Japanese train timetables. We flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
KANSAI REGION
Hotel Urashima, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama
Getting there: 6-minute walk from Kii-Katsuura Station to the pier, then the hotel's shuttle boat
At a Glance
- Fishing corner: ¥1,000 for a rod, bait and a bucket, in the main building
- Fishing hours: 8:00–10:30 and 14:00–17:30. It closes in bad weather and on some days
- Baths: six, including the cave baths Bokido (忘帰洞) and Genbudo (玄武洞)
- Getting there: 6-minute walk from Kii-Katsuura Station to the pier, then the hotel’s shuttle boat
- Check-in: 15:00–19:00 (Klook). Check-out by 10:00
- Children: all ages are welcome (Klook)
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is Hotel Urashima Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- want a hot-spring stay first and a little fishing second
- travel with kids. Children in elementary school or younger fish with a parent or guardian
- need a base for the Kumano Kodo and Nachi Falls
- have no gear. The hotel rents the rod, bait and bucket
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- want big fish or serious fishing. The hotel lists no species, and guests report small fish
- want the hotel to cook your catch. We found no such service
- want a newer building. Two Klook reviews call the hotel old or in need of repairs
- have a tattoo and want the public baths. Ask the hotel first (see the bath section)
How the Fishing Corner Works
Where
The main building. A guest blog puts it near where the shuttle boat docks. The hotel calls the water a quiet bay.
What you rent
A rod, bait and a bucket for ¥1,000.
When
8:00–10:30 and 14:00–17:30.
Source: Hotel Urashima facilities page, checked October 2026.
Check in at 15:00 and you have until 17:30 for the afternoon session. Breakfast runs 7:00–9:00, check-out is 10:00, and the last morning boat leaves the hotel at 10:15. Our pick: fish the afternoon you arrive, then again from 8:00 until about 9:30 if the weather holds. That leaves time to pack before check-out.
⚠️ Closed some days — The hotel says the corner closes on irregular days and in bad weather
- Kids need a grown-up — Children in elementary school or younger must join with a parent or guardian
- Payment and booking — The hotel’s page doesn’t say how to pay or whether you must book. Ask at the front desk when you check in
Can I pay with a card at the fishing corner?
The hotel takes cards and QR payments, but its page doesn’t say if the fishing corner does. Bring a ¥1,000 note to be safe.
What You Might Catch
The hotel doesn’t name any fish. The only reports we found are from two guest blogs. One says pufferfish, horse mackerel, small scorpionfish and gure (blackfish) seem to bite here. The other says an early morning gave nothing, an evening gave wrasse and small fish, and the next morning gave a puffer. Don’t count on a catch, and don’t expect big fish.
These are the fish guests have reported, not a catch list from the hotel.
| Fish | English name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fugu (フグ), including kitamakura (キタマクラ) | Pufferfish; brown-lined puffer | Do not eat |
| Bera (ベラ) | Wrasse | Small |
| Kasago (カサゴ) | Small scorpionfish | Also called gashira |
| Aji (アジ) | Horse mackerel | Reported by one guest |
| Gure (グレ) | Blackfish | Species not confirmed |
Source: two guest blogs (2025), checked October 2026.
⚠️ Never eat pufferfish
- A poison cooking can’t remove — Japan’s health ministry (MHLW) warns anglers not to cook pufferfish they catch. The toxin is not destroyed by salting, rinsing or cooking, and people have died from fish they caught themselves. Only a licensed fugu handler should prepare it. If you catch one, do not eat it and do not give it away
The hotel doesn’t say it will cook or store your catch. Our pick: release what you catch. A guest blog says anglers either take their fish home or release them.
Do you need a fishing license? No. The Fisheries Agency’s guidance for visitors lists no license for rod fishing from the sea shore. Details are in our fishing license guide.
My kid caught a pufferfish. Can the kitchen cook it?
No. The hotel doesn’t offer to cook your catch, and pufferfish must never be eaten if you caught it yourself. Release it.
The Cave Onsen and Other Baths
The hotel lists six baths. The water is a slightly alkaline sulfur-containing sodium-calcium-chloride spring, 50 °C at the source, and the hotel says its large baths use natural source water. The name Bokido (忘帰洞) means roughly “the cave where you forget to go home.” The hotel says a lord of the Kishu domain named it, praising the bath as good enough to make you forget to leave. The hours below are what the hotel lists.
| Bath | First session | Second session |
|---|---|---|
| Bokido (忘帰洞), cave bath (main building) | 5:00–10:00 | 13:00–23:00 |
| Genbudo (玄武洞), cave bath (Nisshokan) | 5:00–12:00 | 16:00–23:00 |
| Taki-no-yu (滝の湯) (main building) | Men 6:00–12:00 | Women 15:00–24:00 |
| Hamayu-no-yu (ハマユウの湯) (main building) | Women 6:00–12:00 | Men 15:00–24:00 |
| Iso-no-yu (磯の湯) (Nisshokan) | 6:00–9:00 | 12:00–24:00 |
| Yoho-no-yu (遙峰の湯) (Sanjokan) | 6:00–10:00 | 14:00–24:00 |
Source: Hotel Urashima bath page, checked October 2026.
At Bokido, men and women swap sides between morning and afternoon. Hours can change with maintenance and weather. When Typhoon No. 25 approached in September 2026, the hotel announced changes to how the two cave baths operated. We couldn’t confirm whether Yoho-no-yu is only for Sanjokan guests. There is no private or family bath.
Our pick: soak in Bokido after your afternoon fishing. The fishing corner and the cave bath are both in the main building, and the bath’s second session runs until 23:00.
I have a small tattoo. Can I use the baths?
The hotel’s website doesn’t state a rule. Guest reports say a sign at the bath entrance asks tattooed guests to refrain. Ask the hotel before you book. If the answer is no, Klook lists a Sanjokan Suite with an open-air bath in the room.
You can reach the hotel’s main number at 0735-52-1011 (from abroad: +81-735-52-1011). We couldn’t confirm English on the phone, so write down your question first.
Rooms, Meals and Small Things to Know
The hotel has four buildings: the main building, Nisshokan, Nagisakan and Sanjokan. The hotel says the main building is close to Bokido and the shop, and its page puts the fishing corner there. If fishing is why you’re booking, we’d pick a main-building room. Klook also sells rooms where you can’t choose the building, such as “Nagisakan Or Nisshokan Japanese Style (Unable Choose)”, so read the room name.
Meals
No meals in your room. The hotel has a breakfast buffet (7:00–9:00) and restaurants, including one with fresh Katsuura tuna nigiri. We couldn’t confirm which Klook rates include dinner, so check the room details.
Sanjokan
It sits on the hilltop, 80 m above sea level. An escalator with a 77 m rise runs up from the main building in 5 minutes 45 seconds.
Luggage
The hotel’s FAQ says there are no coin lockers and the front desk keeps bags. The main-building lobby, renovated in March 2026, added a self-service locker room. You can also send luggage ahead to the hotel.
- Lawson convenience store with an ATM in the main building, open 7:00–23:00
- Coin laundry in Nisshokan and the main building, 13:00–22:00
- No ice machine. The front desk supplies ice for ¥300
- No stroller rental. Wheelchairs are lent at the front desk
- Payments: the hotel says it takes JCB, Visa, Diners, AMEX, DC and Mastercard, plus QR and e-money such as PayPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. Klook says the hotel accepts credit cards and cash
Source: Hotel Urashima FAQ, the facilities page and the Klook listing, checked October 2026.
Getting There
Times below are an example for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and change with the timetable. Fares are totals for the trip to Kii-Katsuura Station.
Shin-Osaka
Direct train
The limited express Kuroshio 5 leaves 9:28 and arrives 13:29 (4 h 1 min, ¥7,460)
Nagoya
Direct train
The limited express Nanki 1 leaves 8:02 and arrives 11:56 (3 h 54 min, ¥7,330)
Kansai Airport
One change
Leave 9:41, change at Hineno (日根野) to the Kuroshio 5, and arrive 13:29 (3 h 48 min, ¥7,240)
Tokyo Station
Two trains
The Nozomi 15 leaves 8:12, and you change at Nagoya to the Nanki 3 and arrive 13:58 (5 h 46 min, ¥16,900)
Tokyo, by air
Leave Tokyo Station at 10:14 for Haneda Airport, fly JAL 215 to Nanki-Shirahama Airport (南紀白浜空港), then take the airport bus to Kii-Tanabe and the JR Kinokuni Line
You arrive at 15:49. The ¥50,748 total includes the flight, and airfares change by day
Source: Yahoo! Japan Transit, checked October 2026.
From Osaka, we’d take the Kuroshio 5. It’s direct, and the 13:29 arrival gets you to the hotel before the 15:00 check-in with the afternoon fishing session still ahead.
From Kii-Katsuura Station to the Hotel
The hotel’s shuttle starts at the Katsuura harbor sightseeing pier (Kanko Sanbashi, 観光桟橋). The hotel says it’s about a 6-minute walk from the station. One Klook reviewer said about 10 minutes, so plan on 10. A Klook reviewer also calls the shuttle free.
Morning boat
From the pier at 7:30 and 7:50, every 15 minutes in the 8:00 and 9:00 hours, and 10:20
From the hotel at 7:20 and 7:40, every 15 minutes, last at 10:15
Afternoon boat
From the pier every 15 minutes from 15:10, last at 18:40
From the hotel every 15 minutes, last at 18:30
Minibus
Between the boat hours and after 18:40, a minibus runs
From the pier it leaves every 20 minutes 10:30–14:50, at 18:50, and every 20 minutes 19:10–21:30
Source: Hotel Urashima access page, checked October 2026.
The boat can stop for inspections or bad weather. The hotel then runs a shuttle bus instead.
What if I get to the pier after the last boat?
Take the minibus. It leaves the pier until 21:30. But Klook’s check-in ends at 19:00 and it doesn’t offer after-hours check-in, so arrive earlier. If you’ll be late, ask the hotel before you travel.
If you arrive early, the front desk keeps bags, and a Klook reviewer says staff held their luggage before check-in. The Katsuura fishing port and its market are a 3-minute walk from the pier.
By Car
The hotel has a free parking lot, but it’s away from the hotel. A shuttle bus takes you across. Use of the lot is until 20:00. After that, call 0735-52-1011 (+81-735-52-1011). EV charging is available. In your car navigation, enter 和歌山県那智勝浦町天満441. In Google Maps, search ホテル浦島駐車場. On the way out, the shuttle bus goes straight from the hotel to the parking lot, not via the pier.
Going Home
Check out by 10:00. The last morning boat leaves the hotel at 10:15, which leaves more than an hour before the first train below. Example for Thursday, October 22, 2026:
To Shin-Osaka
Direct train
The limited express Kuroshio 22 leaves Kii-Katsuura at 11:49 and arrives 15:51 (¥7,460)
To Nagoya
Direct train
The limited express Nanki 6 leaves at 12:25 and arrives 16:12 (¥7,330)
Source: Yahoo! Japan Transit, checked October 2026.
Booking on Klook
Klook rates the hotel 4.8 out of 5 from 361 reviews. The hotel’s own website is in Japanese only, as far as we could tell, so Klook is the easier way to book. One Klook review summary mentions multilingual staff, but we couldn’t confirm English on the phone.
Prices below are what Klook showed in October 2026 and change with the date and availability.
- Room: about US$161 per night for 2 guests in 1 room, with no date chosen
- City tax: JPY 150 per person per night. Children under 12 are exempt
- Fishing corner: ¥1,000, paid at the hotel and not through Klook
Check-in rules (Klook):
- Check-in 15:00–19:00. There is no after-hours check-in
- The person checking in must be 18 or older
- Bring photo ID. The hotel may ask for a credit card or a cash deposit
We couldn’t confirm one cancellation rule for every room. Read the terms for the room you choose before you pay.
Near the Hotel
Katsuura fishing port
Fresh tuna comes in here, and you can watch the early-morning auction. The Nigiwai-Ichiba market is next to it, a 3-minute walk from the pier.
Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha
About 20 minutes by car to Mount Nachi (那智山). The falls drop 133 m. Without a car, take the local bus.
Island cruise
A sightseeing boat around the Kino-Matsushima islets (紀の松島めぐり) boards in front of the main building or at the pier.
Half-Day Kumano Kodo Tour from Kii-Katsuura Station
Klook sells a private tour with a guide in English or Japanese. Pick the “Half Day Tour (From Kii-Katsuura Station)” option. Groups run from 2 to 9 people, and the price depends on group size. Klook rates it 4.4 out of 5 from 5 reviews.
11:40 start
Meet at the station ticket gate, 10 minutes early.
The stops
A 20-minute bus to the Daimon-zaka (大門坂) stone path at 12:30, then Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha, about an hour at each.
Back by 17:35
The bus leaves at 17:00 and returns you to the station. Weather and traffic can change the schedule.
Children aged 0–2 are free. Ages 3 and up pay the adult price. Klook’s cancellation terms charge 30% from 8 days before, 50% from 3 days before and 100% from 1 day before. Weather can cancel or reroute the tour, and the listing’s refund wording isn’t consistent, so read Klook’s terms before you pay.
Suitcases aren’t allowed, so bring a small backpack. If you want this tour, we’d book two nights and join on the middle day. Your bags stay in your room, and the tour ends at 17:35. A day-return train home is tight. On Thursday, October 22, the direct Kuroshio 36 left Kii-Katsuura at 18:04 and reached Shin-Osaka at 22:08. That’s only 29 minutes after the tour ends. On tour day you can still fish from 8:00, take the 10:15 boat and reach the station for 11:30.
What to Bring
🎒 Your packing list
- ☐ A ¥1,000 note for the fishing corner
- ☐ Your passport or other photo ID for check-in
- ☐ A hat and sunscreen for the afternoon session
- ☐ A jacket for kids on the morning boat
- ☐ A plastic bag for wet gear
- ☐ A small backpack if you’ll join the tour
- ☐ Mobile data. See our eSIM guide
FAQ
QDo I need a fishing license?
No. The Fisheries Agency’s guidance for visitors lists no license for rod fishing from the sea shore. See our license guide.
QCan I fish if I’m not staying?
We couldn’t confirm it. The hotel’s page doesn’t say, so ask the hotel first. The hotel does sell day-use bathing.
QIs the fishing corner open every day?
No. The hotel says it closes on irregular days and in bad weather.
QCan the hotel cook my fish?
The hotel doesn’t offer it. Never eat pufferfish you catch yourself.
QCan I use the onsen with tattoos?
The hotel’s website states no rule. Guest reports mention a sign at the bath entrance, so ask before you book.
QHow do I get to the hotel from Kii-Katsuura Station?
Walk about 6 minutes to the pier, then take the hotel’s shuttle boat.
Ready to Book?
Cast a line in the bay, then let the cave bath finish the job. If you want a hot-spring stay with a little fishing for the kids, Hotel Urashima fits well. Skip it if you want big fish.
