OKUHIDA Onsen Gifu ken

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The road between Matsumoto (Nagano ken) and Takayama 'Gifu ken) is one of the few roads linking the western and eastern parts of the japanese Alps through the moutains (long tunnel).

This road links kami-kochi area to Hirayu Onsen known as Okuhida with many onsen, most have rotenburo with view on montain, rivers and forests.

Many have mixed baths, frequented by families and couples switching from the river to the onsen.

Okuhida garden hotel Yakedake at shin-Hirayu is a modern ryokan with a mixed rotenburo.

Kami no yu at Hirayu is a mixed rotenburo but has a direct view from the bridge crossing the Kamata river.

Hodaka ryokan is an old style japanese hotel along the Kamata river, on the left side before Shin hodaka ropeway, with a lady outdoor bath and a three level mixed rotenburo. Probably the most frequented by couples and families in the area. The ryokan has also private bath along the river.

Awa no yu : on the road between matsumoto and Hirayu has a special milky mixed water where ladies feel confortable. The white color of the water is not transparent at all.

Okuhida is also very popular for montain hikker. You can take the 3,200 meters long ropeway at Shinhodaka Onsen and going up to Nishihodaka guchi. You can enjoy breathtaking scenery in every season at a hight of 2,156 meters.

If you love the past don't miss a visit of Takayama with its preserved old town.

Meotobuchi Onsen

Meotobuchi Onsen & Oze Marshland

This onsen is really amazing by the large number of out door bath: 10 mixed bath and 2 for women only.

Located on the shore of a beautifull small mountain river, the largest bath is only filled in the summer with fresh spring water, ideal destination when the weather is hot and humid in Tokyo.

This onsen is attended by many couple , the gender ratio is generally well balanced.

Meotobuchi in Tochigi ken, marks the entrance of the Okukinu Onsen area, called the home of the secret onsen, some only accessible by foot.

If you like hiking, overnight at the hotel and walk from Okukinu Onsen to Oze Marshland located at an altitude of 2000 m . The whole area is designed as a National treasure.

The Empress Komyo: purifying the soul

In the past in Japan taking a bath was generally more for purification of the soul that only for cleaning the body.
People believed that the bath would exorcize the imputities like the death, illness, menstrual blood.
In the West one makes effort to avoid to sin and so have a chance to go to the heaven.
In Japan on thinks that the vileness of the soul get fixed on the body like the bad smell all along live, but could be vanish through a daily bath.


The Empress Komyo : Old writings have shown that in the budhist temples during the 8th century there were steam bath. Wealthy people were paying all costs hopping to be payed back by god. Those wealthy people were taking care of the bath of the poor and the sick person themselves.
The exemple came from of the beautiful Empress Komyo:
People were saying she was embraced with a divine light proof of here spiritual progression. One day the light disappeared. She sought that the reason comes from the fact that she was not enought pious, and committe to give a bath to 1000 poor and disabling of any age and any gender.
The thousend person who came was a leprous one. The Empress did not vacillate and during the time she was giving him the bath the aura came back.