Hidaji

What kind of luxury onsen ryokan is Hidaji?

During the cold season in February, I was in Nagoya city on a business trip and decided to spend the weekend alone at Hidaji in Fukuji Onsen before returning to Tokyo. I am going straight to the point, although the onsen ryokan was located in the countryside deep in the mountains, I was impressed by how sophisticated the interior, decoration, ambience, food, and service were. Definitely one of the onsen ryokan I would go out of my way to visit and stay at, even from afar.

I bought Nagoya’s specialty, sushi wrapped with eel called Hitsumabushi and two cans of beer at Nagoya Station around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and boarded a limited express train, which arrived at Takayama Station around 12:30 p.m. When I got off the train at Takayama Station, it was snowing and extremely cold. Then I boarded the Nohi bus from Takayma Nohi Bus Center and I got off at Fukuji Onsen Bus Stop. A five-minute walk from the bus stop was the ryokan where I would be staying for the night. 

It was a silver world all around, the sky was covered with clouds, the roads were icy and snowy in places, and I pulled my heavy suitcase and finally arrived at the ryokan. If you have luggage like me, get off at Fukuji Onsen-guchi Bus Stop and you can ask staff for a free shuttle service from there. There is no pick-up service from Fukuji Onsen Bus Stop.

I traveled from Nagoya station, but it was more difficult than I had imagined on a snowy day. However, as soon as I saw the gate with its elegant noren curtain and the exterior of the ryokan, my expectations were heightened and my fatigue was quickly dispelled. It was already a little dark when I arrived at the ryokan after taking the train and bus, but it was really worth the time.

As I passed through the brown noren curtain and entered a gassho-style building, I was greeted with the unique ambience of Hida Takayama. I loved this indescribably rural but warm mood. A number of traditional Japanese paper lights emitting gentle light hung from the high ceiling. In the center of the lobby was a magnificent sunken hearth called irori, on which an iron kettle hung. Tatami mats surrounded the irori, and on top of the tatami mats, instead of cushions, were bear furs. Near the irori was a massive counter table with a large tree stump as a table.

I went through check-in procedures here. I was given a cup of green tea and a warm hand towel while I was given an explanation of the ryokan. I looked out the window in front of me and saw a small box garden with a small stone lantern already shining faintly in the falling snow. Then I was shown to my room by the staff. The room I would be staying in tonight was close to the lobby. There are only 12 rooms in total, but all of them have private onsens.

Then when I entered, there were two Japanese-style rooms, and the one on the window side had a small table with an electric heater called kotatsu. Looking out of the window, there was a wonderful private outdoor hot spring bath made of rocks. I loved a quaint little box garden with moss and a stone lantern in front of the private outdoor bath, with snow on the ground and an indescribably rustic ambience. There was also a bathroom and indoor bath next to the room with the kotatsu. The indoor bath is made entirely of hinoki cypress from floor to ceiling, but unfortunately it was not a hot spring. Only the outdoor bath was a hot spring.

As soon as I was shown to my room, I immediately decided to soak in the indoor bath to warm my cold body. I really wanted to soak in the private outdoor bath, but it was still snowing outside and freezing cold, so I warmed myself in the indoor bath first and then moved on to the outdoor bath.

As I soaked in the outdoor bath, the snow fell harder than ever, and I just gazed blankly at the snow falling like petals dancing from the dark, dreary sky. The small stone lantern placed in the box garden was also covered with snow, and the soft light reflected off the pure white snow, creating a mystical atmosphere. In the silence, the sound of the hot spring water pouring was pleasant, and if I listened carefully, I could only hear the faint sound of small crystals falling on the snow that had piled up on the ground.

After getting out of the outdoor bath, I was thirsty, so I enjoyed a bottle of beer from a mini-bar in my room while sitting under the kotatsu. I felt indescribably happy while sitting on the warm kotatsu and watching the snow fall from the window of the room. The mini-bar in my room had a variety of beverages available for a fee. For example, cold sake, plum wine, yuzu wine, bottled beer, canned beer, canned chu-hai, oolong tea, apple juice, Coca-Cola, Pocari, etc. The prices of drinks were reasonable. Mineral water was free.

After 17:30, I was starting to get hungry. Dinner was at 18:00, so I went to a dining area next to the lobby. The dining room did not appear to have private dining rooms, but was spaciously arranged with wooden partitions between the irori tables. Each irori table was a sunken hori-kotatsu type, which made it easy to sit on. When I was shown to my irori table, miso rice cake called gohei-mochi and sweetfish were already roasting on the irori, and the savory aroma of miso whetted my appetite. Local dishes were served, made with only the freshest local ingredients, with none from the sea. Every dish was carefully prepared, and I was very satisfied with the hearty and delicious food. The dishes that particularly impressed me were the pie wraps made with Hida pork, Hida beef sushi, and Hida beef steak for the main dish. 

After dinner, it had just stopped snowing, so I decided to go see Aodaru light up, which was only a few minutes walk away. Aodaru is a phenomenon in which water seeping out of strata and rocks freezes in winter and forms a huge band of blue ice. I was so overwhelmed by the powerful aodaru that I lost track of time. The snowy promenade surrounded by aodaru was fantastic. The contrast between the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the ice was beautiful and moving.

When I returned to my room, a Japanese-style mattresse called futon was laid out in the Japanese-style room, and rice balls called onigiri for the night meal, and cold water were prepared on the kotatsu.

I had been outside for a while and was all chilled out, so I decided to go to a private family hot spring bath before going to bed. There were two private family hot spring outdoor baths on the grounds, a cypress bath and a rock bath, which could be used free of charge whenever available. A tablet given to me by the staff at check-in allowed me to check the availability of the private family baths.

Just at this time, the hinoki bath was availabul, so I went in and saw that the lanterns set up in the corner were faintly lit, but it was pitch black outside and I could not see much. The trees were covered with snow, and occasionally one could hear the sound of snow falling from the branches. Listening to the sound of the constantly pouring hot spring water and entering the hot spring in the quiet night was an irreplaceable time.

Then I returned to my room and was about to go to bed, but I felt a little hungry, so I got into the kotatsu and enjoyed the plum wine from the mini-bar and the onigiris prepared by the staff. Suddenly, I looked out the window and saw that the snow had stopped.

The next morning, I woke up around 6:00 am to the sound of birds chirping. It was a very cold morning. I looked outside at the box garden and saw that the accumulated snow was frozen. It was still dark. Before breakfast, I decided to enjoy the private hot spring bath in my room. While soaking in the private bath, I looked up at the sky and saw that it was gradually getting brighter. I loved the time when the night slowly dawned.

After this, I still had some time before breakfast, so I decided to go to a morning market. It took me about 2 minutes to get there from the side of the ryokan to the back street. When I entered a wooden building, it was like stepping back in time to 50 years ago in Japan. The walls were covered with old records, posters of idols, and autographs of famous people who had visited here. Local specialties, vegetables, fruits, and sake were also sold.

Back at the ryokan, I was hungry. Breakfast was at 8:00AM. I was sitting in the same irori where I had dinner. When I arrived at the irori table, a pot of delicious-looking miso soup was being prepared on the irori. I also enjoyed Hoba miso, a specialty of Hida Takayama. As with the dinner, the ingredients from the local mountains and rivers were well used.

After breakfast, I took the private family bath in the stone bath. Last night, when I used the hinoki bath, it was nighttime and I was disappointed that I could not see outside, but this time the sun had already risen and the area was bright, and the cloudless blue sky and the all-white snowy landscape were breathtakingly beautiful. The stone and hinoki baths are similarly constructed, but it would be best to use them in the daytime when you can see the scenery.

After that, I could stay here by 11:00AM, but I had to return to Tokyo by evening, so I checked out before 10:00AM and asked the staff to take me to Fukuji Onsen-guchi Bus Stop.

If I were to raise a drawback, it would be that since the ryokan is a traditional gassho-zukuri architecture, it does not even seem to have a soundproofing system installed. I heard someone walking and talking in the hallway and the sound of doors opening and closing. Also, it is not suitable for families with small children, as children under elementary school age are not allowed to stay. It is truly an exclusive mountain hut for adults. Check Availability and Pricing for Hidaji on Agoda

  TOP5 Best Ryokans with Private Onsen in Hida Takayama, Gifu
  TOP5 Best Ryokans for Solo Travelers in Hida Takayama, Gifu

Is the location easy to access?

Take the Nohi Bus for Shinhotaka Ropeway at Takayama Nohi Bus Center in front of Takayama Station. Then, get off at Fukuji Onsen Bus Stop. *HO40 The ryokan is a 3-minute walk from the bus stop. Refer to the timetable.

Then, if you are visiting the Hida Takayama area for the first time and do not know which bus stop to get off at, you may want to show a bus driver the Japanese text below when you get on a bus.

福地温泉のバス停に着いたら、教えてください。
Kindly let me know when you reach Fukuji Onsen bus stop.

If you have any questions about how to get there, please message me anytime below.

Rooms I would recommend?

If you stay here, I would recommend a room with a good view. Perhaps some of the rooms do not have a good view.

How about toiletries & in-room amenities?

All of the amenities are taken care of including enough toiletries, yukatas, and a green tea set, etc. Also, a humidifier, a DVD player, and a towel warmer were placed in my room. Floor heating was installed. Room service is not available. There is a vending machine for soft drinks near the lobby. There is no convenience store nearby. The property is located deep in the mountain. You might want to buy your necessities before coming here. Complimentary green tea, wheat tea, cold water, snacks were always available in the lobby. The free WiFi reception was good on the property.

How about In-house Facilities?

There are two private family hot spring outdoor baths with wonderful views.

In the lobby, there was a small souvenir shop selling Haagen-Dazs ice cream, snacks, and local sake, etc.

Then this is not a perfect universal design. There are paving stones and two steps at the entrance, but the one-story structure allows wheelchair access throughout the building. If you bring people with weak legs, you might want to inform the staff in advance as they can arrange a room near the entrance.
  TOP5 Best Accessible Ryokans in Hida Takayama, Gifu

Then, the traditional wooden buildings are not adequately soundproofed. You may hear the sounds of daily life from the room next door. After 22:00, the staff may ask for your cooperation to keep quiet.

How about meals?

The local cuisine for dinner and breakfast was excellent. River fish, beef, vegetables, and rice cakes were grilled over an irori and enjoyed to the fullest. Dinner was served from 18:00 to 21:00. Breakfast starts around 8:00.

Then there is no nice restaurant near the property. You might want to book a room with meals.

My impressions

The staff was very warm, friendly and informative. Overall, I would say that the ryokan is popular all year round because of its good value for money when considering the service, facilities, and food. There seem to be many repeat guests. Next time I would like to visit during the beautiful season of fresh greenery and autumn leaves.

JFYI, they can send you to Hirayu Onsen Ski Resort by car if you request.

Have a nice trip!  Welcome to receive any questions about Hidaji from the below space.

*If you check-in after 17:00, you need to inform the staff in advance.
**Cash ONLY, credit cards are not accepted.

Check Availability and Pricing for Hidaji on Agoda

Info about Hidaji

Style	Traditional Onsen Ryokan
Check-in and out times	14:00/11:00
Estimated Price	80,000 JPY for 2 adults per room
Contact	Call at 0578-89-2462 domestic Call at +81 578-89-2462 overseas
Internet Connection	Free Wifi in the ryokan
Facility Information	Wheelchairs are almost available Pets are not allowed The free parking lot is available
Location	Hidaji’s MAP
Access	5min walk from Fukuji Onsen Bus Stop  Free pick-up service from Fukuji Onsen-guchi Bus Stop *Need to book in advance
Address and TEL	687 Okuhida Onsengo Fukuji Takayama Gifu 506-1434   Tel +81 578-89-2462
Official Homepage	Hidaji’s HP

*All information above is as of the date that I posted on my blog.

Still not sure where to stay in Hida Takayama, Gifu ?
Browse through my TOP5 Ranking Lists of all the best places to stay in Hida Takayama, Gifu. Alternatively, you could leave a message at the below space for advice.