Okuhida Onsen-go

Okuhida Onsen-go in Takayama city, Gifu Prefecture, encompasses a cluster of five onsen villages deep in the Northern Alps at the head of the Hida River valley, where among the highest concentrations of hot springs in Japan emerge from the volcanic activity of the Hida Mountain Range at altitudes that make many of the rotenburo among the highest outdoor thermal baths in the country. The siliceous spring water carries exceptional mineral richness from the volcanic granite through which it passes, providing powerful skin-smoothing and muscle-relaxing effects that attract alpinists who have descended from climbs on the 3000-metre peaks of the Northern Alps as well as ordinary visitors drawn by the spectacular mountain scenery. The combination of high-altitude location, pristine mountain air, traditional ryokan hospitality, and extraordinary geological diversity of spring types makes Okuhida one of the most rewarding onsen destinations in Japan for the dedicated mineral water enthusiast.