Hot Spring Comparison in the Hida Region! Let's enjoy hot springs with different qualities!

  • Gifu
  • Experience Gifu
Photo courtesy of Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation
The Hida region consists of three cities and one village: Takayama City, Hida City, Gero City, and Shirakawa Village.
Surrounded by steep mountains and located almost in the center of Japan, the Hida region has been a place where cultures from the east, west, north, and south have stayed and mixed since ancient times, and the blessings of nature and traditional culture are still carefully protected and passed down to the next generation. There are many attractive hot spring resorts in the area, such as Gero Onsen, which was called "one of the three best hot springs in Japan," and Okuhida Onsenkyo, which boasts an abundance of hot spring water.

The Hida region is very large. ...... Takayama City alone is the largest city in Japan and is about the same size as the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Hida area is also home to Hida City, Gero City, and Shirakawa Village, so if you plan to tour around the various sightseeing spots in the Hida region, you will not be able to visit all of them in a single day. If you are planning to visit Hida, we recommend that you stay at a hotel or ryokan as a base for your trip and enjoy a relaxing sightseeing tour.

So, what points do you emphasize when you choose a hotel? The reason for choosing an inn may vary from person to person, such as accessibility to the destination, room type (Japanese-style room or Western-style room), and meals, but we would like to introduce the differences in spring quality of major hot springs in the Hida region!

Gero Onsen

Along with Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture and Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture, it is one of the three most famous hot springs in Japan. The quality of the spring is "alkaline simple spring" and the water is clear and colorless. The water is clear and colorless, has a slight fragrance, and is smooth to the touch. (It is said that the higher the pH, the more effective it is in exfoliating the skin.) The benefits include chronic pain in muscles and joints (osteoarthritis, back pain, neuralgia, etc.), recovery from fatigue, and other beauty and health-building benefits.
Suimeikan Open-air Bath (image)
Suimeikan also has an indoor "onsen" pool!

Hida Takayama Onsen

Although Hida Takayama has a long history, it is a newly developed hot spring resort, with the first source of spring water gushing forth in 1989. The second source was dug in 1993, and these two sources were combined to form the Hida Takayama Onsen (hot spring). Some hotels and inns have their own hot spring sources, and if these are included, the total number of hot spring sources is 9. The main types of spring water are "simple spring" and "sodium-hydrogencarbonate/chloride spring. The chloride spring is rare in the Hida region, and its clear, colorless, slightly salty spring water warms the body and is effective for neuralgia, muscle pain, oversensitivity to cold, and relief of fatigue.
Hida Hotel Plaza Tenmou Large Bath (image)

Okuhida Hot Spring Village

The five hot spring resorts of Hirayu Onsen, Fukuchi Onsen, Shin-Hairayu Onsen, Tochio Onsen, and Shin Hotaka Onsen are collectively known as Okuhida Onsen-kyo. 37,000 liters per minute of hot spring water gushes from more than 100 sources, making it the third largest in Japan. There are four main types of spring water: clear and colorless "simple springs," sulfur springs with a distinctive sulfur smell, bicarbonate springs that are said to be good for the skin, and chloride springs that are highly effective in retaining heat. In addition to the color of the spring water, which varies from clear and colorless to brown, cloudy, and cloudy, you can also enjoy the color of the hot spring water. For example, "sulfur spring" has a high sterilizing effect and is effective for chronic skin diseases, and is also said to be effective for chronic women's diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Shin Hotaka Onsen Hotel Hotaka Open-air bath (image)
Hirayu Onsen Miyama Sakuraan Open-air bath (image)
How was your visit? Next time you visit the Hida region, try soaking in different types of hot springs to find the one that suits you best!
Click here to apply for the tour to enjoy two hot springs with different qualities in Hida with the [Membership Organization of JR East (Otonano Kyujitsu Club) Pass]!
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