Gero
Discover Gero
Gero (下呂市 Gero-shi), most famously known for Gero Onsen (下呂温泉), a hot spring town, is a city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. One of Japan's Three Famous Springs (日本三名泉 Nihon Sanmeisen) — not to be confused with Japan's Three Great Springs and several other competing variants — the town's hot springs made their first appearance in print in the Engi Era (901-923). While there are many concrete hotels, the hot spring town has a retro atmosphere and to this day, it continually ranks among the top onsen in the nation year after year in numerous hot spring ranking websites and publications. The scenery in the valley is quite picturesque, particularly in autumn.
What to Experience in Gero
Taste of Gero...
The tomato bowl is a known favorite in several eating establishments throughout the town. Most restaurants around Gero Onsen have separate lunch and dinner hours, making it difficult to find anywhere to eat between 2pm-5pm. There's a local beer, Gero Gensen Beer, and two sake breweries. Gero is also famous for tomato juice, which you drink after a bath to detox. Gero has a number of high-class inns where you can soak in luxury on a mountainside without ever trudging through town going from bath to bath.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Gero.
Some amateur kabuki performances are held in May and November. Fireworks can be seen in August and December. The most popular souvenir from Gero (and the Hida region in general) is a sarubobo (lit. "baby monkey"), a small faceless doll amulet. The tomato bowl is a known favorite in several eating establishments throughout the town. Most restaurants around Gero Onsen have separate lunch and dinner hours, making it difficult to find anywhere to eat between 2pm-5pm. There's a local beer, Gero Gensen Beer, and two sake breweries. Gero is also famous for tomato juice, which you drink after a bath to detox. Gero has a number of high-class inns where you can soak in luxury on a mountainside without ever trudging through town going from bath to bath.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options35.8054137.23981 Gero Station is on the JR Takayama Line, which has spectacular views of the valley and the Hida River below. The Wide View Hida (ワイドビューひだ) limited express from Nagoya takes about 1½ hours (¥4,620). If you're coming from the Sea of Japan side, from Takayama it takes 45 minutes (¥2,240), and from Toyama there are 4 daily runs taking 2½ hours (¥4,940); local trains from Toyama take 2½-3½ hours, with a transfer in Inotani, and another in Takayama if you want to take the faster Wide View Express for the last segment. From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya and then the Wide View Hida. On a Nozomi, this takes about 3½ hours and costs ¥13,880; by Hikari it takes 4 hours, but is free with the Japan Rail Pass. From the Kansai region, Gero is around 2¼ hours from Kyoto (¥9,130) and around 2½ hours from Osaka (¥9,780), also using the Nozomi or Hikari and changing in Nagoya....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Gero Onsen can be covered on foot, although if you have much luggage you'll want to get a taxi or arrange a pickup with your lodgings — the train station lies on the south side of the river, while most hotels are across the long bridge to the north. Beyond the onsen area, a car is useful, but trains and buses can help provide access to other areas. As you'd expect in a hot spring town, the major attraction in Gero is to soak in hot springs. An easy way to sample a number of them is to buy the Yu-meguri Tegata (湯めぐり手形, "onsen-touring pass"), a wooden amulet sold all over Gero. This will get you into 3 hot springs of your choice from a choice of about 30 for the flat price of ¥1,300, which can be used up at your own pace as you'll get a stamp each time you visit; you can keep the amulet as a souvenir, too. Foot baths (足湯 ashiyu) are popular in Gero, as the waters are reputed to have curative properties.
Where to Stay
Gero has a number of high-class inns where you can soak in luxury on a mountainside without ever trudging through town going from bath to bath.
Money & Budget
The most popular souvenir from Gero (and the Hida region in general) is a sarubobo (lit. "baby monkey"), a small faceless doll amulet. The tomato bowl is a known favorite in several eating establishments throughout the town. Most restaurants around Gero Onsen have separate lunch and dinner hours, making it difficult to find anywhere to eat between 2pm-5pm. There's a local beer, Gero Gensen Beer, and two sake breweries. Gero is also famous for tomato juice, which you drink after a bath to detox. Gero has a number of high-class inns where you can soak in luxury on a mountainside without ever trudging through town going from bath to bath.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Gero
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Graffiti spelling the word "retro" on a wall.
Urban street art – Graffiti. Made with analog vintage lens, Leica Elmarit-R 2.8 135mm (Year: 1987)
[IF YOU USE MY PICTURES, PLS CREDIT ME (insta : @dreiimos)]
Graffiti spelling the word "retro" on a wall.
Urban street art – Graffiti. Made with analog vintage lens, Leica Elmarit-R 2.8 135mm (Year: 1987)
[IF YOU USE MY PICTURES, PLS CREDIT ME (insta : @dreiimos)]
Graffiti spelling the word "retro" on a wall.
Urban street art – Graffiti. Made with analog vintage lens, Leica Elmarit-R 2.8 135mm (Year: 1987)
[IF YOU USE MY PICTURES, PLS CREDIT ME (insta : @dreiimos)]
Graffiti spelling the word "retro" on a wall.
Urban street art – Graffiti. Made with analog vintage lens, Leica Elmarit-R 2.8 135mm (Year: 1987)
[IF YOU USE MY PICTURES, PLS CREDIT ME (insta : @dreiimos)]