[Two days trip in Gero Onsen] Eat while strolling around with a footbath and fireworks!

* Information is current at the time of the interview.
Please check the latest information of each facility and store when using.

During the chilly season, you will miss warm hot springs.

​Gero Onsen has a history of over 1,000 years and is one of the three best hot springs in Japan. It is easily accessible from Nagoya, and is famous as a hot spring for beautifying the skin. We will introduce you to the hot spring that makes your skin smooth, as well as gourmet food, historic hot spring hotels, fireworks, sightseeing spots, and much more.

What is Gero Onsen, one of Japan's top three hot springs?

Along with Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture and Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, Gero Onsen is known as one of Japan's top three hot springs. It is said that the source was discovered in the Heian period, and it is a traditional hot spring with a history of over 1,000 years. It is said to be effective in recovering from illness, recovering from fatigue, relieving stress, and improving health.

The "alkaline simple hot spring" that is the spring quality of Gero Onsen is also noted as a "beauty hot spring" that is highly effective in exfoliating the skin, promoting the metabolism of dead skin cells, eliminating dullness, and otherwise beautifying the skin. It is clear and colorless, with a smooth texture and a slight scent of hot water. It is truly the perfect hot spring for a women's trip.

How to get to Gero Onsen?

JR Takayama Main Line Gero Station

The best way to get to Gero Onsen in winter is by train. If you use the limited express "Wide View Hida" on the JR Takayama Main Line, it takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Nagoya to Gero without changing trains. It's a perfect distance for two days and one night trip on weekends.

・In the case of limited express
[JR Nagoya Station] → [JR Gero Station] About 1 hour 40 minutes

・Regular trains
[Meitetsu Nagoya Station] → [Meitetsu Shin-Unuma Station] → [JR Unuma Station] → [JR Gero Station] About 2 hours 15 minutes
[JR Nagoya Station] → [JR Gifu Station] → [JR Gero Station] About 2 hours 10 minutes

・By car
About 2 hours 30 minutes from Nagoya via Nakatsugawa IC

In addition, the "Gero Onsen direct bus (round trip ¥3,700)" runs daily from Nagoya. If driving on winter roads is a bit of a challenge for you, please try using trains and buses.

Arrive at Gero Station!

JR Takayama Main Line Gero Station

Departing from Nagoya, we were on the train for about 1 hour and 40 minutes. We arrived at Gero Station. The smell of hot spring water came from somewhere ...

We immediately found a hand bath! The mood of a hot spring trip is quickly lifted.

In front of the station is the Gero City General Tourist Information Center, so be sure to get a sightseeing map.

At the tourist information center, you can also rent a bicycle (1,000 yen/day). The hot spring town is large enough to walk around, but it is recommended if you want to go a little further afield.

Footbaths and eating while strolling. Wandering around the hot spring town

Let's take a stroll through the town of Gero.

Gero Onsen is a hot spring town along the Hida River. There are plenty of shops where you can enjoy eating while walking and sightseeing spots within walking distance. In addition, there are spots for hand baths and foot baths, so you can easily enjoy Gero Onsen while taking a walk!

First of all, we will pick up and introduce recommended shops from among the many eating while walking gourmet.

Enjoy sweets unique to the hot spring area "Ontama soft serve ice cream"｜Gero Onsen Ashiyu Village Yuamiya

The first place we visited was "Gero Onsen Ashiyu Village Yuamiya". Here, you can enjoy sweets unique to hot springs. There is also a footbath available 24 hours a day at the storefront.

Ontama soft-served ice cream ￥420

A new type of sweet “Ontama Soft (¥420)” is a fusion of hot spring eggs made in Gero Onsen and cold soft serve ice cream. It was born from the manager's desire to enjoy hot spring eggs like sweets.

Stir well and enjoy while soaking in the footbath. A nostalgic and gentle taste like a milkshake. This is addictive! Even if you eat cold soft ice cream in winter, the footbath effect will keep you warm.

[Gero Onsen Footbath Village Yuamiya]
Address: 801-2 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone number: 0576-25-6040
Business hours: Summer (April to November) 9:00 to 21:00 | Winter (December to March) 9:00 to 18:00
Regular holidays: Irregular holidays

http://yuamiya.co.jp/index.html

Sweets made with 100% Gero Milk｜"GEROGERO Milk Stand"

Next, head to the new spot "GEROGERO Milk Stand" that just opened this year.

This store offers drinks and sweets made from 100% local Gero milk. The store also sells a wide variety of original souvenirs, making it a great shopping spot.

Left) coffee milk ¥ 460 / Right) smoothie milk (strawberry) ¥ 530

We tried the popular "coffee milk" and "smoothie milk". Both come with biscuits handmade at their own factory! It has a light and crunchy texture and goes well with drinks.

[GEROGERO Milk Stand]
Address: 850 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone number: 0576-23-1930
Business hours: 9:00-17:00 (extended hours may be available during summer and before holidays)
Regular holiday: Wednesday

http://yuamiya.co.jp/milkstand/index.html

Curry bread with chunky Hida beef made by a long-established butcher | "Yushima-an"

When you visit Gero Onsen, one of the things you want to try is Hida beef.

Hearing that there is a shop where you can casually taste Hida beef, we visited "Yushima-an," a meat specialty shop. It is the second branch of Tengu, a long-established butcher shop in business for 60 years.

Assortment of 3 gems ￥900

The specialty of Yushima-an is the "Three kinds of gem sushi (¥900)" where you can taste three types of meat sushi: Hida beef marbled sushi, Hida beef lean meat sushi, and Hida natto pork pork belly sushi. In particular, Gero's specialty brand pork "Hida natto pork (Nattokuton)" is soft and sweet.

Chunky Hida Beef Curry Bread ￥350

Also, you should definitely try the Chunky Hida Beef Curry Bread (¥350). As the name suggests, it is filled with juicy Hida beef. The bread dough is also chewy. Especially recommended in the cold season!

[Yushima-an]
Address: 845 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone number: 0576-25-6226
Business hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Wednesdays, irregular holidays

http://yushimaan.com/

Smooth pudding in a cute retro space｜Gero pudding

There are still more spots to eat while walking!

The next stop was Gero Pudding, the first pudding specialty store in Gero Hot Springs, which opened in March 2019. The puddings are handmade one by one in a workshop attached to the store to "bring you the taste of memories."

The secret is the vanilla beans, which are the most important ingredients that create the taste and aroma of pudding. Gero pudding uses “natural vanilla beans” from Madagascar. The moment you put it in your mouth, the rich vanilla scent spreads throughout your mouth.

Starting with "Gero pudding" using local Gero milk, there are many unique puddings such as melon soda, matcha green tea, and coffee jelly. There are also seasonal puddings, so be sure to check them out! When we visited, a pudding with plenty of Shine Muscat was served.

There is also an eat-in space in the store that is inspired by the bathtub of Gero Onsen. A space full of Showa retro feeling, such as massage chairs and TVs unique to the old days. The nostalgic flavor of the pudding will soothe your tired body.

[Gero Pudding]
Address: 545-1 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone number: 0576-74-1771
Business hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Wednesdays, irregular holidays

http://www.gero-purin.com/