湯の平館

Yunohirakan is a small, 10-room ryokan in Hirayu Onsen, part of the Okuhida onsen area near Takayama. The separate men's and women's baths draw on two different springs. The indoor bath, Akandana-no-yu (アカンダナの湯), is a cypress tub filled with faintly cloudy, iron-tinged water that keeps you warm long after you step out, while the rock-lined open-air bath runs on a saltier sulfur spring that feels almost soap-smooth on the skin. Both are kept flowing straight from the source. Guests can also use three private open-air baths, Sugi-no-yu, Sasa-no-yu and Momiji-no-yu (杉の湯・ささの湯・もみじの湯), free and unlimited, each a different size with its own view into the forest. Hirayu's hot springs are said to date to the Sengoku period, when a white monkey was seen soaking an injured leg in the water and soldiers followed to heal their own wounds. Dinner keeps that old mountain-inn feel too: Hida beef grilled over a charcoal hearth, served in small private dining rooms or a shared hall. The building is just ten rooms but has an elevator, making it easy going for older guests.