So far, our trip has taken us to fairly well known, well trodden Japanese hot spots. To
get the full picture however, I would seriously recommend taking time to explore the Japanese
countryside. So what follows for the rest of this vlog, will hopefully show you a different
side of Japan with some inspiration to get a little or a lot off the beaten path. Over
the next 6 nights we would be staying in 3 different hotels, all within an hour of each
other and all within the Gifu Prefecture. And so we started our new journey, in Gero.
Gero is on Onsen town that during the Edo period was considered one of the top 3 in
all of Japan. Geros’ small town atmosphere mixed with encircling mountains makes it feel
open yet protected at the same time.
Due to its abundance of volcanic activity, there are more naturally occurring hot springs
in Japan than anywhere else in the world so you are spoilt for choice.
For visitors, Onsens normally mean getting completely naked in front of strangers and
then pretending that’s a normal thing to do. Gero of course has onsens but what makes
it different are its geothermal foot spas, dotted around the entire town. So armed with
a local map, we went on the hunt. And only 5 minutes from our hotel, we had already struck
gold.
In total over the next few hours we visited 5 different foot spas; this fancy circular
one which was incredibly hot, this one stuck outside a shops front door, this more secluded
one we later discovered in our hotels courtyard and the most grand of them all, this one here.
Situated under the main bridge for the town, this was the largest and most popular.
Whilst planning this trip, we realised we were near a huge stretch of land holding 216
waterfalls, all of which were over 5 meters in height. Not wanting to pass on the opportunity,
we organised a countryside hike with a company called Hida Osaka Falls. We met our local
guide, Jun at the Hida-Osaka Train Station and began our waterfall trek. Although our
tour was mainly in Japanese, English tours can be arranged to take you through some awesome
scenery.
We eventually discovered that Jun was in fact the Japanese version of Bear Grylls, knowing
every inch of the land. Pointing out various signs of wildlife, from ants gnawing through
leaves to signs of boar, turning nature into drinking cups, and convincing me it was a
good idea to eat this leaf. And then Jun casually pointed out these bear claw marks. We were
now deep inside bear country and this single piece of discarded railway is meant to alert
the bears so they will stay away. Of course, it did cross my mind we were simply just informing
the bears we were ready to be eaten.
Juns’ passion and pride shone through and you could see his genuine excitement to share
stories of his home town. His care for us went beyond our expectations and if you’re
in the area, I recommend you check out their website. Depending on the time of year, you
can also enjoy a wetter version of this trip and even experience frozen waterfalls surrounded
by untouched snow. If you’re interested in arranging a trip for yourselves, I’ve
linked all the details to Hida Osaka Falls in the description below.
Takayama lies one hour north of Gero and its’ old town is a beautiful time capsule of yesteryear
Japan. Although Takayama can stand firmly on its own feet, it also acts as a convenient
gateway to other attractions around Northern Gifu. Historically, the town grew in importance
when it became synonymous with highly skilled carpentry and quality timber which can still
be seen today.
After dropping our bags off at our hotel, we headed over to the morning market. Running
parallel to the Miyagawa River, this quiet market caters to both locals and tourists
alike. Most interesting of all was this latte served inside an edible cookie cup which you
could then top up with cream. And then this unique tasting Tamaten, which is like the
outside of an omelette mixed with the inside of a marshmallow. Both a sweet and savoury
snack.
The old town itself is probably Takayama’s main attraction however. A set of streets,
beautifully persevered from the Edo Period, crammed with shops, food stalls and sake breweries.
Walking through these streets makes you really feel like you’ve stepped back in time, albeit
with a bunch of other people wearing futuristic clothing. I plan on doing more videos about
Gifu and Japan in general so if you’ve come this far, please subscribe with the notification
bell checked, to catch them when they’re released.
Rounding off the day, we visited my overall number 1 Japan dining experience, making it
a must visit when in Takayama. Seated at the kitchen counter was an experience in itself
with the only chef being the perfect showman and it was great to see him wield his magic
in front of our very eyes. With all other support coming his mother, they ran a tight
ship and the owner spoke to his diners in English, Japanese and German. It is strongly
suggested you pre book here, since we saw many people being turned away. It was also
a really well priced meal considering the huge quantity and quality we enjoyed. Top
notch.
Shirakawa-Go is a real, lived in mountain settlement about an hours drive from Takayama.
Famous for its traditional gassho style farmhouses, their steep thatched roofs are said to resemble
hands meeting in prayer. Built entirely without nails the roofs are designed to withstand
large amounts of snow and have successfully done so for over 250 years.
Booking a traditional Japanese Ryokan is a perfect relaxing way to end a jam packed 2
weeks. We were now an hours drive East of Takayama in a town called Okuhida. And on
our second day here we woke up to this which made our countryside getaway even more magical.
Given that Okuhida is famous for its Onsens, we made sure to book somewhere that wouldn’t
disappoint. So this became the best onsen experience I’ve ever had.
The great thing about Japanese Ryokans is the food that is usually included with the
price. They provide the most elaborate, presentation heavy, 12 course meals you’ve ever sat through,
making both dinner and breakfast feel like an event. They are also one of the best ways
to sample authentic Japanese dishes you probably won’t find in Wagamama.
Our main reason for staying in Okuhida was the Shinhotaka Ropeway, buried at the foot of
the Japanese Alps. Taking you up the Hotake Mountain Range it includes Japan's third highest
peak.
There are in fact 2 ropeways here and the first carries you upwards over 200 meters.
The second ropeway is the main attraction however, being the only double decker gondola
in Japan. Offering one of the highest elevation gains in the country, you’ll climb 800 meters
in a matter of minutes, elevating you to an altitude over 2000 meters.
Check out the full 40 minute version of this video as we start our trip in Tokyo, then
continue through to Kyoto and Nara. Subscribe for more new Japan content coming soon and
we’ll see you in the next video. Thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.