Hida (Gifu)
Local Guide
3 Must-Visit Day-Trip Hot Springs in the Okuhida Area: Enjoy Famous Springs with Abundant Water Flow

Spanning the foothills of the Northern Alps, the Okuhida Hot Spring Resort consists of five hot spring areas: Hirayu Onsen, Fukuchi Onsen, Shin-Hirayu Onsen, Tochio Onsen, and Shin-Hotaka Onsen.Blessed by the active volcano Mt. Yakedake, the region boasts an abundant supply of hot spring water, with a flow rate of 37,000 liters per minute—ranking third in Japan (according to the Japan Hot Spring Association’s “Hot Spring Statistics”).With over 100 natural springs, the water varies in quality, temperature, and color, and one of the region’s attractions is the chance to experience this diverse range of hot springs on a hot spring-hopping tour. Here, we introduce spots where you can easily enjoy these hot springs, nestled in the great outdoors of Okuhida, on a day trip.

[Bonus Feature] Hirayu Onsen’s Famous Hot Spring Eggs—Perfect After a Bath

Tour the Outdoor Hot Springs While Enjoying Forest Bathing

Sixteen outdoor hot springs—eight for men and eight for women—are scattered across the spacious grounds
Sixteen outdoor hot springs—eight for men and eight for women—are scattered across the spacious grounds

Hirayu Onsen boasts the longest history among the Okuhida Hot Spring Villages. Surrounded by vast forests, this hot spring property offers both day-trip bathing and overnight stays. The spring sources include “Hirayu no Mori no Yu,” a milky-white spring that is rare even within Hirayu Onsen, and “Mizuiwa no Yu,” a colorless, transparent spring.Together, these sources provide approximately 600 liters per minute of spring water, which is used as a continuous flow.
The spacious Outdoor hot springs feature 7 men’s baths and 9 women’s baths. Since the temperature and cloudiness vary from bath to bath, why not take your time exploring the different baths while enjoying the forest air to find your favorite one?

A large public hot spring with a spacious, open-air atrium that exudes Taisho-era romance

The large public hot spring features high ceilings and windows that create a sense of openness
The large public hot spring features high ceilings and windows that create a sense of openness

The large public hot spring, with its retro atmosphere, features a spacious indoor bath that can accommodate up to 30 people. The open-ceiling design creates a pleasant sense of openness, allowing you to relax as you sink deeply into the deep tub.In addition, there are two “Private Iron Cauldron Baths” with a unique design: a large iron cauldron serves as the bath, with one half as an indoor bath and the other half as an open-air bath. These are available even for day visitors, so please ask at the front desk.
After your bath, take a moment to relax in the charming gassho-zukuri-style rest area. At “Café Komorebi,” surrounded by green trees, you can enjoy light meals and desserts, while at the Restaurant “Mominoki,” you can savor Hida beef dishes. There’s also a gift shop with a wide selection of souvenirs, making this a perfect spot to unwind.

Local Guide
Supporters

Both the hallways and changing rooms are entirely lined with tatami mats, and underfloor heating is available during the colder months. You can enjoy walking barefoot in comfort. Be sure to stop by “Café Komorebi,” where you can take in panoramic views of fresh greenery, autumn foliage, and snowy landscapes through the large windows. We highly recommend their rich soft-serve ice cream.

Hirayu no Mori
  • Address 763-1 Hirayu, Okuhida Hot Spring Area, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 4-minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal
  • Business Hours 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Last admission at 8:30 p.m.)
  • Closed Days Open daily (Closed for maintenance on certain dates. In 2026: September 9, November 30–December 11)
  • Admission Fee 700 yen for junior high school students and older; 500 yen for children ages 3 to elementary school age
  • TEL 0578-89-3338
  • Parking Free of charge
  • hot spring Calcium-Sodium-Magnesium Bicarbonate-Chloride Spring
  • Notes Face towels (for sale): 200 yen; bath towels (for sale): 500 yen
    Private baths for day visitors: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM, 3,000 yen per room

Be soothed by the greenery of the garden and relax in the emerald-colored hot spring

Outdoor hot springs in the mixed-bathing area where families and couples can bathe together
Outdoor hot springs in the mixed-bathing area where families and couples can bathe together

This hotel is located in Shin-Hirayu Onsen, a hot spring town spread across the highlands. You can enjoy 11 different types of baths as a day-trip visitor, excluding the private open-air bath and the “Tenno-yu” bath along the river. Approximately 1 metric ton of hot spring water gushes forth every minute from the four private springs on the premises.Even among the Okuhida Hot Spring Village, known for its diverse spring qualities, this is the only place with an emerald-colored spring.
Both the men’s and women’s sections feature spacious Public hot springs, rock-lined and cypress-wood Outdoor hot springs, as well as standing and reclining baths 1.2 meters deep where you can walk underwater.In addition, the Outdoor hot springs in the mixed-bathing area—where guests wear bathing suits—are also popular. True to its name as a “Garden Hotel,” the facility is nestled within a garden featuring beautiful seasonal flowers and autumn foliage, captivating all who visit.

Savor the nature of Okuhida in the mixed-gender Outdoor hot spring, where guests enter wearing bathing robes

“Bakusen-do,” where light streaming through the rocks creates a beautiful scene
“Bakusen-do,” where light streaming through the rocks creates a beautiful scene

Among the outdoor hot springs in the mixed-bathing area, the “Uguisu no Yu,” with its emerald-colored waters, is particularly eye-catching.It is an “ultra-deep-layer hot spring” that springs from strata formed by the uplift of the seafloor approximately 360 million years ago. Due to its rich mineral content, it is characterized by an abundance of hot spring flowers floating on the surface when you soak in it. It is also rich in metasilicic acid and is known as a “beauty bath” for its skin-nourishing properties.
Beyond the waterfall-like curtain of hot spring water lies the mystical cave bath, “Bakusen-dō.” When you immerse yourself in the bath, surrounded by rock on all sides and overhead, you’ll feel as though you’re floating inside a warm limestone cave, experiencing a truly otherworldly sensation.

Local Guide
Supporters

The spring water here is a sodium-bicarbonate-chloride hot spring. It’s said that the salt components help prevent moisture and heat from escaping the skin; many visitors report that their skin feels moisturized after bathing and that the warm sensation lasts for a long time. The view of the garden is also beautiful, making this a hot spring you’ll want to visit throughout the seasons.

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake
  • Address 2498-1 Ichigegane, Okuhida Hot Spring Area, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Take a bus from JR Takayama Station or Hirayu Bus Terminal; get off at “Garden Hotel Yakedake” and it’s just a short walk from there
  • Business Hours 12:00 PM–10:00 PM (Last admission at 9:00 PM)
    *During Golden Week, Obon, and the year-end/New Year holidays, there are times when day-use bathing is not available.
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • Admission Fee900 yen; free for children under elementary school age
  • TEL 0578-89-2811
  • Parking Free of charge
  • hot spring Sodium-bicarbonate and chloride hot spring
  • Notes Hand towels (for sale): 200 yen; bath towels (rental): 200 yen; bathrobes for the mixed-gender Outdoor hot spring are available for free rental

Enjoy the atmosphere of a mountain village hot spring and warm up to your core

A rock-built Outdoor hot spring filled with tea-brown hot spring water
A rock-built Outdoor hot spring filled with tea-brown hot spring water

The “Hirayu Folk Museum” features two traditional farmhouses side by side: the “Former Takakuwa House,” a gasshō-zukuri structure over 250 years old that was relocated from Toga Village in Toyama Prefecture, and the “Former Toyosaka House,” a cultural property of Takayama City. Within the grounds, there is one men’s and one women’s changing room, as well as one rustic Outdoor hot spring each.The tea-brown hot spring water, rich in iron, is renowned as “Nukumari-yu” (meaning “warming bath” in the Hida dialect) for its ability to gently warm the body. Listen to the birdsong and let yourself be enveloped by the silky-smooth water as you enjoy a moment of relaxation for both body and mind.The admission fee is a voluntary donation. Please place about 300 yen in the wooden box near the entrance.

After your bath, take a break in a traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouse

After warming up in the hot spring, take a break in the room with an irori (traditional hearth).
After warming up in the hot spring, take a break in the room with an irori (traditional hearth).

The traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouse is open for free tours and can also be used as a rest area. With a hearth that’s still lit every day and a display of traditional household items and farming tools once in use, you can get a glimpse into life in those days.
Every Friday and Saturday, the café “Okuhida Chaya SABI” is open. You can enjoy hamburgers, Hida beef steak bowls, and coffee brewed from house-roasted beans right by the irori.

Local Guide
Supporters

The changing room has lockers (100 yen) and baskets for your clothes. Since there are no washing stations, be sure to pour water over your body before entering the bath. Near the torii gate of the adjacent Hirayu Shrine, there is also a footbath fed by the same spring source, where you can relax.

Hirayu no Yu
  • Address 29 Hirayu, Okuhida Hot Spring Area, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 5-minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal
  • Business Hours 6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; 8:00 a.m.– during winter *Excluding cleaning times
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • Admission Fee Suggested donation (approx. 300 yen)
  • TEL 0578-89-3030 (Hirayu Hot Spring Tourist Information Center; closed Wednesdays)
  • Parking Free of charge
  • hot spring Bicarbonate spring, chloride spring
  • Notes Visiting hours for the Hirayu Folk Museum are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Freshly made “Hantai Tamago” using water from the shop’s own spring that bubbles up right outside

Place your order at the register inside, and they’ll retrieve the hot spring eggs directly from the hot spring
Place your order at the register inside, and they’ll retrieve the hot spring eggs directly from the hot spring

Hot spring eggs are a famous Hirayu specialty—many people say, “You can’t leave Hirayu Onsen without trying these.” If you peek into the shop’s own “Tsuruno-yu” spring, where steam billows from the front of the store, you’ll see hot spring eggs boiling in a colander, creating an atmosphere that’s quintessentially hot spring town.
Unlike regular hard-boiled eggs, the yolk is firm while the white remains soft—hence the name “Hantai Tamago” (Contrast Eggs). Since you can’t take them home, you’ll want to tuck into them right there while they’re still piping hot.

You’ll be captivated by their piping-hot, creamy, and wobbly texture

To achieve the perfect balance—where the white is soft-boiled and the yolk is firm—they add water to the hot spring water and adjust the temperature to 65–67°C
To achieve the perfect balance—where the white is soft-boiled and the yolk is firm—they add water to the hot spring water and adjust the temperature to 65–67°C

Crack about a third of the shell and slurp up the runny white—you’ll find the set yolk underneath. Even though it’s set, it’s exquisitely soft and jiggly, with the scent of the hot spring and a subtle saltiness that’s truly addictive. Sprinkling on some of the salt provided at the register to your liking really brings out the flavor.
Please note that depending on the timing, you may have to wait 30 minutes to an hour for them to be ready. During that time, we recommend browsing for souvenirs in the shop or relaxing at the nearby footbath. If you’re concerned about the wait time, it’s best to call ahead to check before visiting.

Local Guide
Supporters

At “The ABCs of Hot Spring” in Hoshino Resorts KAI Okuhida—which introduces the history and culture of Hirayu Hot Spring—you can also enjoy hantai tamago at the end of your visit. The shop is lined with souvenirs from Hida Takayama, and among them, we highly recommend “Tsuruno-yu Natural Yuhana,” which the owner’s father collects by hand.

Tsuruya Shoten
  • Address 519 Hirayu, Okuhida Hot Spring Area, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
  • Direction About a 3-minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal
  • Business Hours 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., hot spring eggs available until 4:00 p.m.
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • TEL 0578-89-2605
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

[Bonus Feature] Hirayu Onsen’s Famous Hot Spring Eggs—Perfect After a Bath
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Return to article top
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.