Gero Onsen

What to know

During the Edo Period (1603–1868), Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan named Gero Onsen one of Japan's three finest hot springs. Though the town has modernized since then, the waters still possess the remarkable quality that earned them fame.

Gero lies between Nagoya and Takayama, about an hour south of Takayama. This makes it a convenient stopover or a great alternative accommodation during the Takayama Festival, when rooms in Takayama are scarce.

Onsen are Gero's main draw. The town offers three public bathhouses plus many baths in ryokan, several of which open to non-guests for a fee at certain times.

To sample multiple baths, buy a Yumeguri Tegata (spa pass)—a wooden tablet sold at the tourist office, ryokan, souvenir shops, and convenience stores. It costs 1,300 yen, is valid for six months, and grants three visits to any of over a dozen participating ryokan. It also makes a nice keepsake.

Around town are many free footbaths where you can sit and unwind after sightseeing. One is the riverside Funsenike pool, originally a bathing pool but converted to a footbath due to its exposed location causing constant complaints.

Onsenji Temple enshrines Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing. Its image is said to have restored Gero's hot spring flow after a large earthquake blocked it. Climb the stone stairs to the temple gate for a view of the city and river.