Places to go outside Tokyo

Juhachirou Hotel

Hidden prefectures in Japan, on the road less travelled, are full of history, culture, tradition and offer you the experience of a lifetime to step back in time and get involved in their amazing culture. Two prefectures rich in this are Gifu & Ishikawa prefectures. 

With traditions over 1000 years old still happening today like Cormorant Fishing, and local artisans still creating incredible items from utensils to paper and not forgetting their signature drink Sake, with many amazing breweries to experience and taste test. 

There is an abundance of adventure and activities with kilometres of stunning landscapes to explore, mountains to hike, road trips along the coast lined with rice terraces, rivers and waterfalls to dip in. 

The cuisine needs to introduction with traditional sushi, but for the more adventurous try the local dishes like Hida Beef, raw fish dishes, to even Blow Fish, known for being incredibly poisonous yet a delicacy in Japan, cooked to absolute perfection by the chefs that dedicate their life to perfecting the local cuisine. Immerse yourself in these prefectures and take the trip of a lifetime. Below is the hotels, and activities to discover.

Hotels in Gifu:

Juhachirou

Founded in 1860, Juhachiro is as traditional style hotel located along Nagara River and boasts indoor and outdoor natural hot spring baths. The rooms are high quality yet warm and relaxing, with beautiful views of the river. The interior and exterior boasts tradition but modern luxury. The dining offers Japanese style cuisine based on the tradition of the hotel, combined with seasonal ingredients and ingenuity of the local chef.

Magoemon – Shirakawa village

Magoemon is an Inn built in the early 1800’s, located in village of Shirakawa-go, which is registered as a World Heritage Site. In Shirakawago, the spirit of ``Yui Yui'' and helping each other is a valued culture. You can stay in this ‘gassho’ house that has a long history full of stories and history. Experience the warmth of Shirakawa-go's people and the ‘Gassho-style’ architecture with solid beams, pillars, and smooth wooden halls full of Japanese charm.

IORI STAY

Iori stays offers many beautiful villas, townhouses, antique houses with saunas rooms, river view terraces and so many more. Their focus is luxury, stylish and sophisticated as well as a traditional Japanese focus with stunning baths and rooms with interior and exterior to match for the perfect stay.

Nipponia Mino

YAMAJOU BUILDING
Saijiro Matsuhisa, who was a wholesaler of Japanese paper raw materials, renovated a separate house that was completed over a period of five years to entertain guests. The main house, which was lavishly built by a wealthy merchant is built to surround the courtyard so that each room can see a different garden. Enjoy the garden from the baths in every room.

Taniya in Takayama - opened in April 2023.

Taniya inn

Takayama is a town nestled in the northern Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Taniya inn is renovated from the cultural property private house "Former Miwaya", which is a specific building of Meiji architecture traditional building preservation district that remains in the old town of Takayama City. Taniya has been created for visitors to not only experience traditional Japanese hospitality but also a place to experience the culture and life of Hida. Surrounded by the rugged mountains of the Northern Alps, Hida Takayama has many historical buildings and beautiful towns to explore, full of history.

Gifu activities:

Takasu Mountains 

Ski, snowboard or trek, Gifu has plenty of options for winter sports fans. On the Takasu Mountains, which are only a 30-minute drive from the traditional streetscapes of Gujo Hachiman or two hours from Nagoya’s Centrair Airport, Gifu has the biggest interlinked snow resort in central Japan. It’s a sprawling area comprised of six individual resorts, each with a mix of runs aimed at varying skill levels—from veteran snowboarders to first-time skiers of any age. Near the slopes there are numerous natural hot-spring baths for soaking off the day’s exertions and soaking up traditional Japanese hot-spring culture.

Hida Osaka

 In Hida-Osaka, you can go on snowshoeing tours to frozen waterfalls from January into early March, while experienced hikers could ride the Shinhotaka Ropeway up into the Northern Alps to take on challenging winter trails surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks. From late December to Mid-March, anyone can try snowshoeing tours from Shinhotaka’s visitor center through the snowy Nabedaira Kogen Heights. And hiker or not, everyone should make that ropeway trip for the panoramic winter views.

In Gero Hot Springs

located in between Gifu and Takayama, historically considered to be one of the “three best hot springs” in Japan, there are countless onsen baths in ryokan, free public baths outside, and even ashi-yu (foot baths) scattered around the downtown area. The water here is referred to as the “springs of the beautiful” because of the silky-smooth effect it has on skin.
* Deia White deia@gate7.com.au