Gifu · Okuhida Onsen (Hirayu, Shinhotaka)
Higaku-no-yu & Climbers' Canteen
ひがくの湯と登山者食堂
A rustic day-onsen near the Shinhotaka trailhead with a canteen where model trains run past your table. The open-air bath faces Mt. Shakujō and Mt. Kasa, and fills with hikers fresh off the mountain. Closes in winter depending on snow.
- Price (adult)
- ¥950
- Hours
- 09:00–20:00 (until 22:00 Jul–Nov; last entry 20:30)
- Closed
- Irregular (Dec–Mar opening depends on snow — phone ahead)
- Access
- Bus to Nakao-Kōgen-guchi, 3 min walk
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥950 / children ¥800 / infants ¥150; ¥1,000 / ¥900 on holidays, Obon and the autumn season. Discount for hikers (sources cite ¥700–750). Older figures of ¥750–800 are outdated
- Baths
- Men’s and women’s open-air baths (with washing areas) plus a men-only “climbers’ bath” — three rotenburo, no indoor bath. Views of the sheer wall of Mt Shakujo. Two private sources, 68 °C+, clear, free-flowing
- On site
- “Climbers’ canteen” with 80+ dishes (Hida beef, hoba-miso etc., 11–20), comic corner, pachinko/slot corner, model railway, all-you-can-eat dagashi sweets, nap room. Onsen-heated floors. Bookable day rooms (11–15, from ¥4,400)
- Parking
- Free, ~70 cars. 1 min from the “Kokuritsu-koen-guchi” bus stop
- Phone
- 0578-89-2855
- Official site
- shinhotaka.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Okuhida Onsen (Hirayu, Shinhotaka). Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Open-air bath facing the Alps
- Famous model-train canteen
- The classic post-hike soak
A hikers’ haven: canteen, nap room and games with your bath
Higaku-no-yu, at the national-park entrance in Shinhotaka’s Nakao district, pairs its baths with a “climbers’ canteen” and has become a pilgrimage stop for anyone coming down from the Northern Alps. There is no indoor bath — just men’s and women’s rotenburo (with washing areas) and a men-only “climbers’ bath” — but clear water from two 68 °C+ private sources overflows generously beneath the sheer face of Mt Shakujo. Inside is an eccentric playground of comics, a model railway, pachinko machines and all-you-can-eat penny sweets, and from July to November it stays open until 22:00 for late descents. With 80-plus dishes including Hida beef set meals, the canteen is a lifesaver in an area with few restaurants.
Tips & cautions
- Prices vary by source with season/holiday surcharges (¥950 base, ¥1,000 peak); ask about the hikers’ discount.
- Dec–Mar opening depends on snow — always phone 0578-89-2855.
- No indoor bath, so the walk to the rotenburo is cold in winter, though the onsen-heated floors keep the building warm.
- More hikers than ropeway tourists; busiest 15:00–18:00.
- Sells ¥350 bathing wraps for use at Shinhotaka-no-yu.
Getting there
Nohi bus (Hirayu–Shinhotaka line) to “Kokuritsu-koen-guchi”, 1 min on foot (Nakao 442-7); ~90 min from Takayama Station, ~25 min by car from Hirayu. ~60 min from Takayama IC. Free parking for 70.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Convenience
Price
Sauna & wellness
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
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