I went to Hirayu Onsen in Gifu with my friends. Besides hot springs, I enjoyed the superb view of the Northern Alps on the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and it was great!
Since it was a trip to enjoy without spending much money, I will write it along with saving technique.
If you want to take the best hot spring in Japan, you must go to Hirayu Onsen!
The first is traveling from Osaka to Kyoto by train. I tried to get to the Hachijo exit where the Nippon Rent-A-Car office is located at Kyoto Station, but it was too early in the morning (6:20) and the ticket gate was closed…
▼the gate was closed
Despite the feeling of being distracted from the trip, I made a detour to the North-South Freeway and joined a friend at Hachijoguchi.
The Japan Rent-A-Car’s Kyoto Station office is open from 5:00 am, so it’s helpful to go out and leave early in the morning.
▼This is a rental car for our trip
I often rent a car via Jalan Rental Car. The reason is that discount coupons can save a lot.(jalan rental car supports Japanese only, so I wrote the article to rent a car at jalan rental car in English)
I was able to rent the car at a cheap price using the 2500 yen off coupon of Nippon Rent-A-Car.
▼car rental fee after applying the discount coupon
If you rent a car (Demio) in two days and one night and pay 10,000 yen including car insurance, it is cheap!
Since long drive is tired, I went to Hirayu Onsen while changing drivers. On the way, I stopped at Taga SA in Shiga Prefecture for a break and breakfast.(It is one of the largest SAs in Shiga Prefecture.)
▼Taga service area
▼Yakisoba bread(popular food in Japan)
When running on the Gifu prefecture highway, animals like a boar crossed the highway in front of them. (I couldn’t take a photo because I was surprised)
I felt that driving safely was important without speeding up. . . On the highway heading north from Gifu Prefecture, wild animals came out and there are many tunnels, so driving makes us tired.
I took a break at Hirugano Kogen SA to take a break frequently.
▼Hirugano Kogen SA
When driving Gifu Prefecture, we can see “Hida beef croquette” in many places, but if you have never eaten please try it once. (The gravy is amazing and delicious)
▼Hida beef croquette means “飛騨牛まん”
We went through Takayama and Hirayu Onsen of the accommodation to Shinhotaka Ropeway.
▼Shinhotaka Ropeway.
Unfortunately the cloudy sky is on the ground, but the clouds are low and seemingly thin, so if I go up on the ropeway it may be fine. . .
There is a footbath at “Shirakaba Station” which is the platform of the 2nd ropeway, so warm my feet for a while until the departure time.
▼footbath at “Shirakaba Station”
It is a favorite spring quality with a little sulfur smell.
Shinhotaka Ropeway has the first ropeway and the second ropeway above it.
▼the first ropeway means “第１ロープウェイ” and the second ropeway means “第２ロープウェイ”
If you get off at the parking lot of the first ropeway by car or bus, take the first ropeway and change to the second ropeway, going up to the Shinhotaka Ropeway Observation Deck (2156m).
On the other hand, if you get off at the parking lot of “Shirakabadaira Station” of the 2nd ropeway, you can arrive at the Shinhotaka Ropeway Observation Deck without connecting.
When going by car, the total regular charge of the parking fee + ropeway fee is the same, 3400 yen, regardless of whether you go up to the observation deck of Shinhotaka Ropeway from either the first ropeway or the second ropeway.
If you have a Montbell membership card, you can save 300 yen, so we used it. (Discount up to 5 people with one piece)
▼Montbell membership card
The price is the same regardless of which ropeway you take, but we recommend you to take from the second ropeway station “Shirakaba Station”.
The departure time of the first ropeway station “Shinhotaka Onsen Station” is at 0,30 minutes per hour, and the departure time of the second ropeway station “Shirakaba Station” is at 15,45 minutes per hour. It is better to line up early as the number of passengers is small.
We went to the observation deck of the Shinhotaka Ropeway from the second ropeway. Please be sunny!
▼dive into the clouds…
▼Barely above the clouds…
The observatory is pure white due to the clouds, but if I raise the altitude, it felt like it was going through the clouds, so the schedule was changed.
I decided to go to Nishiho Sanso (2367m) from the observation deck (2156m). When going to Nishiho Sanso, I need to submit a climbing schdule for safety and climbing equipment.
It was good to bring mountaineering equipment! I went to the Nishiho Sanso from the trailhead.
▼start trailing
Go up and down dense forest belts. There is a wooden path where drainage is bad.
However, the trail is well maintained and easy to climb.
The feeling of going through the clouds.
After 50 minutes walking on the mountain trail, I arrived at Nishiho Sanso.
The view opens through the clouds. It was really nice to come!
With a little greed, I go for 360-degree panoramic “Maruyama”. The arrival time at Nishiho Sanso is 13:30, and the final departure time of the return ropeway is 16:00, so I needed to hurry up.
Although I was in a hurry, my stomach asked me to eat something, so I decided to eat at the mountain cottage.
ramen? No curry!
▼food menu at Nishiho hut
Orange juice? No, Coke!
It is retort curry, but it was full of meat and it was delicious.
My stomach was full, so I will go for Maruyama. I arrived in about 30 minutes on foot from the mountain cottage. This is a 360-degree panoramic video from the square where Cologne is located, just before Maruyama.
I wanted to shoot a 360-degree panorama from Maruyama, but there were many people in the scene, so I shot it a little below. As we aimed, we came out above the clouds so it was the best view!
At 14:30, return to the observation deck of Shinhotaka Ropeway because I was worried about the time of the ropeway.
We arrived at the observation deck of Shinhotaka Ropeway at 15:00 on a hurry. The view had been restored with a little cloud drop.
Most of the people who came to the observatory were not mountaineering equipment, so it was good that the view was restored.
I want to post a cute post and a letter. Will postmen come to collect?
It is said that the final ropeway will be crowded, so we will board the 15:15 ropeway and arrived at Shirakaba station.
Get on our rental car and went to Hirayu Onsen, where we will stay. We arrived at Hirayu Onsen in about 30 minutes from Shinhotaka Ropeway.
This time, we stayed at Okada Ryokan in Hirayu Onsen. It is a beautiful ryokan for 12760 yen (tax included) with a friend(without meals).
In addition, by applying a 3000 yen discount coupon for “Rurubu”, it has been reduced to 9760 yen.
It’s past 17:00 and we have to find a place to eat.
Hirayu Onsen has private stores that sells snacks and cup ramen, but restaurants are few when we go to dining.
There were a few set-up restaurants, but there weren’t many izakaya-style restaurants. As a result of the investigation, it seemed that the shop called “Ankiya” was a izakaya. It is a pretty big izakaya.
There are Teppanyaki, liquor, snack menu etc.
▼Teppanyaki
▼drink menu
▼snack menu
Hida beef teppanyaki was really delicious! If you eat at Anki-ya, you should ask!
▼Hida beef teppanyaki
I replaced it because it was too delicious. I got fat. When I returned to the inn from Ankiya, I ate some seafood noodles that I bought somehow.
I became full and went to a open-air bath in the inn. At Okada Ryokan, you can enjoy different types of hot springs by drawing four private hot springs.A staff member at the Shinhotaka Ropeway said that Hirayu Onsen is one of Japan’s leading hot springs, that it is true.
The camera was NG in the bath as expected, so there was no image, but there was also a private room open-air bath, then I took in the bath. I exhausted the tiredness of the day.
I slept like mud that day, and went back to Kansai early the next morning before the highway was congested.
After all, Gifu is the best place to get the beauty and benefits of nature. From the Kansai area, it is not far (about 4 hours by car), so we can enjoy the view of the Northern Alps and hot springs.
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