Hirayu Onsen is the largest and oldest onsen town in the Okuhide valley, famous for the rotenburo (outdoor baths) with views of the Northern Japan Alps.
Relaxing in an onsen (natural hot spring) is a must during a visit to Japan, and Gifu Prefecture has some of the best onsen in Japan. Okuhida is a valley famous for hot springs with spectacular views of the surrounding Northern Japanese Alps to enjoy. Out of the 5 onsen towns located in Okuhida, Hirayu is the oldest and largest of them. It is said that Hirayu Onsen was discovered by the troops of famous Japanese warlord Takeda Shingen in the 1560’s. There are many ryokan and onsen facilities here in Hirayu, ranging from indoor to outdoor rotenburo baths.
Many onsen offer kashikiri, or private, baths by reservations. Since baths are separated by gender, be sure to reserve a private bath if you want to stay together to enjoy the hot springs! This is especially helpful if you are traveling with children.
We also recommend heading back to the main Jr Takayama Station area if you are looking for dinner options. Many of the stops and restaurants in the Hirayu Onsen area tend to close early, so you will have more variety to choose from near the station.
Access Hirayu Onsen by bus from the main JR Takayama Station. It takes approximately 1 hour. Hirayu Onsen is the closest of the 5 Okuhida Onsen hot spring towns to Hida Takayama, so makes the perfect day trip location to enjoy hot springs during your stay.
| Hirayu Onsen | |
|---|---|
| Address | 763-191 Okuhida Onsengo Hirayu, Takayama, Gifu 506-1433 |
| Google Map | https://goo.gl/maps/eUnJbssXkUy91pedA |
To get the best access to Hirayu Onsen and other local attractions, we recommend staying at an accommodation nearby, with access to JR Takayama Station for your other travel needs.
The perfect mix of traditional and modern, this boutique hotel is located near Takayama Old Town, and is a leisurely 8-minute walk from JR Takayama Station. A renovated traditional Japanese architecture (machiya) with 14 exclusive rooms, you can choose to stay in a spacious western-style room or a classic Japanese tatami room. If you are traveling to Takayama city with family or a group of friends, we recommend staying in THE MACHIYA HOTEL TAKAYAMA’s suite or loft-style rooms!
THE MACHIYA HOTEL TAKAYAMA also has a private machiya villa, THE MACHIYA HANARE – a traditional Japanese two-story machiya house – exclusive for one group per day. This private machiya villa has a luxurious hinoki wood Japanese bathtub, 2 bedrooms, modern kitchen, and views of the Miyagawa River.
