Hidagyu-no-yado

Every guest room here comes with its own private open-air onsen bath, facing the Okuhida peaks, so there is no need to book a slot to soak. The ryokan also keeps two free reservable outdoor baths that guests take in turns, plus a shared indoor bath split by gender, all fed by the same natural spring: water that is slightly salty with a faint sulfur scent. The in-room baths carry a certification from the Japan Onsen Heritage Preservation Society (日本温泉遺産を守る会). Dinner centers on Hida beef steamed in a bamboo basket and a local offal hotpot, and guests often mention the fireplace-lit lounge and how quiet the mountains get here in winter.