Gero Onsen

One of Japan's three great hot springs, a spa town on the Hida River, with Gassho Village, the Nakayama Shichiri gorge and the Osaka Waterfalls nearby.

Gero Onsen is in Gero City in central Gifu Prefecture, set in the gorge of the Hida River (also called the Masuda River), about 50 km south of Hida-Takayama and about 100 km north of Nagoya, making it the gateway hot spring of the Hida region. In the Edo period the Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan ranked it with Arima and Kusatsu as one of Japan's ‘three great hot springs’. Its alkaline simple springs feel silky on the skin, earning it the nickname ‘beauty bath’. Sightseeing centers on the hot spring town: ryokan of all sizes and about ten free foot baths line both banks of the Hida River, and the Funsenchi riverside bath, Shirasagi no Yu, Kaeru Shrine and the Gero Onsen Museum are all within walking distance. On the hillside to the east, Onsen-ji temple and Gassho Village make for a pleasant half-day stroll. With a car, you can explore the Nakayama Shichiri gorge and Kanayama to the south (the Kinkotsu alley walks, the Iwaya Iwakage site and Yokotani Gorge), Zensho-ji temple in Hagiwara to the north, and Gandate Gorge and the Osaka Waterfalls in Osaka Town (about 35 km). You can soak year-round; there are cherry blossoms in spring, hydrangeas at Onsen-ji in June, the Gero Onsen Festival and fireworks in August, autumn leaves from late October through November, and hot spring fireworks every Saturday in winter. Getting there: the JR Hida limited express from Nagoya reaches Gero Station in about 1 hr 40 min; it's on the same line as Takayama, so you can combine Nagoya, Gero and Takayama in one trip. Highway buses also run from Gifu and Nagoya. The hot spring town is easily explored on foot, but a car is recommended for outlying sights; allow 1–2 days. Food highlights include Hida beef, hoba miso and keichan (chicken stir-fry), and a Yumeguri Tegata pass lets you bathe at several ryokan.

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