Escape to Tranquility: Must-Visit One-Day Onsen (Okuhida Day Trip)

Usually in Japan, onsen areas are full of 旅館 (ryokan), or traditional Japanese inns that provide you with luxurious food and access to their establishment’s onsens. The problem is, if you are not a guest at these establishments, sometimes you are not allowed to use their onsens. As someone who could only budget visiting Okuhida for a day trip, I thought I might as well enjoy what Hida offers best, which is gorgeous mountains and onsen! Okuhida, Takayama is made up of five different onsen neighborhoods: Hirayu, Fukuji, Shin-Hirayu, Tochio, and Shin-Hotaka. If you want to enjoy the full onsen experience but are just visiting, you have to find 日帰り温泉 (higaeri-onsen), or one day onsen which don’t require you to stay at their establishment to enter. Here’s a list of some onsen you can enjoy in the Okuhida Onsen area, even if you aren’t staying the night.

1.Hirayu no Mori

This is perhaps the most famous onsen in Okuhida, as it is conveniently situated right next to Hirayu Bus Terminal. This onsen is one of my personal favorites because of the beautiful architecture and variety of beautiful onsen. After buying your ticket at the machine, you’ll walk through a long hallway and are soon welcomed by a beautiful wooden onsen with picturesque blue waters. Every onsen there is immaculate. In the open air area, there are almost 7 different onsen pools to enter. Each onsen also varies in temperature, making it nice to rotate between pools. There are also areas to sit and cool off if you please. By the entrance there is a rest area with vending machines, a small ice cream stand, and a Hida souvenir area to buy snacks.

Onsen info: 1 inside, 7 outside onsen per gender
Note: It can be extremely busy during peak tourist seasons. During these times, you’ll have to wait in line to even use their hairdryers.

2. Hirayu no Yu

This onsen stop is a short walk from the Hirayu Bus Terminal. The onsen itself is small, but it embodies the true onsen experience as it feels private and is very well maintained. Around the onsen are many traditional Japanese thatched roofed buildings as well as a rest area where you enjoy vintage Japanese aesthetics while sipping on a coke you can buy from an old retro coke machine. Surprisingly, it felt like an Edo Period Japanese neighborhood despite being so close to the main roads connecting to Matsumoto. The onsen itself is surrounded by a variety of beautiful trees and flowing water– if you time it right, the sunlight peaks right through the leaves, creating an idealistic onsen experience. I honestly felt like I could fall asleep there or move there temporarily…There’s even a restaurant nearby if you get hungry!

Onsen info: One onsen per gender
Note: This onsen doesn’t have an area to wash your hair or body.

3. Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake

This onsen has quite a variety of onsen pools to choose from. In the gender restricted area, there are about 4 different onsens to go inside, one being an onsen where you can lay down as if you’re sunbathing (except this time under spring water). Once you exit that area, there is a room where you must put on a bathing robe since it becomes a mixed gendered area. The mixed gendered area has two main onsens, a large onsen surrounded by trees where you can look at the stars, and an onsen enclosed in a cave, hidden behind a waterfall (my personal favorite). There were also free combs in the changing room and face moisturizer.

Onsen info: 2 mixed outside onsen, 4 separate onsen per gender
Note: Upon entering the onsen, there is an area that splits between gender restricted and mixed gendered areas. Make sure to put on the free robe they offer you!

4. Kojin no Yu

This onsen is nestled amongst the trees and mountains of the Tochio Onsen Area. As it’s unmanned, you can enter freely as you wish! Its a nice stop on the way to the Shin Hotaka Onsen Area. Nearby is a manmade fountain which has a light up display during the winter and rows and rows of flowers during the spring! The Tochio onsen area also has a free footbath onsen 100m away and an instagrammable rest stop with a (very cute) weasel motif decorated around the area.

Onsen info: Two onsen per gender
Note: This onsen doesn’t have an area to wash your hair or body.

5. Higakuno no Yu

If I could describe this onsen in one word, I’d say it’s unique. Just at the entrance, you are welcomed with a wanted photo of criminals which made me laugh. Every corner I turned, there was something interesting placed around, whether it be a hamburger chair, a giant rock, free odor removal spray to use??, or a pikachu sitting at a desk. Inside the premises are endless things to look at and to interact with including a retro video game area (with a nintendo 64 + TVs), mini slot machines, a toy train area and more! The onsen itself had 3 different bathing areas. In my personal opinion, the best was the Mountain Climbing Area Onsen, which included around 6 wooden barrels where you could sit in and relax. This was probably the most unique and fun onsen I’ve ever been to. It was also the first onsen I’ve been to which offered mouthwash!! Connected to this onsen is a kitchen which serves over 80 menu items.

Onsen info: Three outdoor onsen per gender
Note: If you pay for the onsen, there is a snack stand where you can take up to 5 snacks for free! It was a pleasant surprise after I finished playing with all the props laid around.

6. Yarimikan

This open air bath offers a grand view of the Northern Alps. Part of a luxurious ryokan, this was one of the more gorgeous onsen I’ve been to. The view looking at the river as well as the beautiful Japanese maple trees made me feel like I wanted to stay there forever. After entering the main lobby, you descend the stairs into an open onsen area separated into different sections. If you’re there for the one day onsen, you can only use the two onsen to the left, Iwami Bath and Yarimi Bath. This area has the changing rooms for male and female practically next to each other so beware! Iwami Bath is a mixed onsen (from 7-9AM its female only) while Yarimi Bath is for females only. Private onsens are available for rental if you are a couple. Before leaving you can collect/drink fresh mountain water from their fountain in front of the reception desk.

Onsen info: 1 mixed onsen, 1 onsen for female, private onsen are also available for rental
Note: This onsen doesn’t have an area to wash your hair or body.

7. Shinzanso

This onsen is definitely not for the shy. It is off the center of the tunnel that leads to Shin-Hotaka Ropeway (it’s easy to miss so be careful!). Leading up to the ryokan is a beautiful bridge, where you can overlook the river, Northern Alps, and to my surprise–bathers! This onsen is as open as it can get, as people from the parking lot and the bridge area can absolutely see you bathing right in the open! There are no trees or partitions covering you except for the womans’ only bath. That being said, it really feels as if you’re bathing directly in the mountains! To gain entry to the onsen, you have to put 500 yen into the mail box to the left of the entrance. Women must wear a towel (which can be received from the front desk) or something to cover themselves (bathing suits are ok).

Onsen info: 3 mixed onsen, 1 onsen for women
Note: This onsen doesn’t have an area to wash your hair or body.

8. Shinhotaka Outdoor Public Onsen

This onsen is connected to a beautiful river basin. While you’re not allowed to swim/bathe in the river itself, around are little crevices of hot water where you can sit, creating a quite literally– “down to earth” feeling. I kind of felt like a capybara at a zoo ^^; There is also a more manmade onsen surrounded by Japanese maple trees, but usually its populated with grandpas just living their best life. Since it is an open river, you are totally visible by passerbyers and the cars passing by! This onsen is also unmanned, but there is a proper changing area and you are allowed to wear bathing suits. It can be a little hard to find, but if you see a bridge keep walking to the end and the entrance will be on your right.

Onsen info: 1 main mixed onsen
Note: This onsen doesn’t have an area to wash your hair or body.

9. Nakasaki-sanso Okuhida no Yu

Conveniently a two minute walk to the Shinhotaka Ropeway, this small onsen is very popular amongst onsen lovers due to its high quality onsen water. The water is considered one of the best in Japan. This onsen was quite small and can get a bit crowded, but the view of the mountains and the dripping water fixture outside is quite relaxing. The onsen feels put in time, as it was reminiscent of the 80s period in Japan. When I went, it was mostly Japanese grandmas, chatting away in the intimate space. I felt really content afterwards because of the kind front desk people and the local atmosphere.

Onsen info: Separated by Male and Female/ 1 inside and 1 outside onsen
Note: There is a small restaurant inside the premises which serves noodles, curry, and spaghetti.