Gokasanso (Gokayama Onsen Gokasanso) is a public lodge, a kokumin shukusha, in Gokayama, Nanto City, Toyama. It sits inside Toyama Prefectural Gokayama Natural Park, across the Sho River from the Murakami House, with the gassho villages of Ainokura and Suganuma on either side. Before you book, three things matter: the hot spring is heated and recirculated; free folk songs are performed in the lobby on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays; and the nearest convenience store is about 30 minutes away, so plan your meals.
What kind of place is Gokasanso in Gokayama?
Where exactly is it?
The inn describes its setting as quiet countryside about 30 minutes by car from Shirakawa-go. It stands just across the Sho River from the Murakami House, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, and a reconstructed exile hut sits just below the inn. Ainokura and Suganuma, the two gassho villages, lie in opposite directions, and the washi paper village is about 10 km away. With little stray light, the inn says the night sky is full of stars. Our Toyama guide covers the wider prefecture.
What are the folk song evenings?
Gokayama is known for old folk songs, and the inn calls them among the oldest in Japan. It performs songs such as Kokiriko and Mugiya-bushi free in the lobby on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. A dinner plan with the performance is sold for those three days only.
Gokasanso (Gokasansou) plans and prices at a glance
| Plan (official booking page) | From, per person, tax included |
|---|---|
| Breakfast only | 11,150 yen (4 in a large Japanese room) to 14,450 yen (1 guest) |
| Dinner and breakfast | 16,650 yen to 21,050 yen (1 guest) |
| With folk song performance (Thu, Fri, Sun) | 17,200 yen to 20,500 yen |
| Hida beef plan | 19,950 yen (4 in a room) to 22,150 yen |
| Room only (coffee included) | Ask the inn by phone |
Prices change with the room and the number of guests. From the official booking page, read October 20, 2026.
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 333-1 Tamukai, Nanto, Toyama 939-1913 |
| Rooms | 22, in six types; all non-smoking, with Wi-Fi |
| Check-in / out | From 15:00 / 10:00 |
| Baths | Large bath, open-air bath and sauna, from check-in to 9:00 the next morning |
| Bathing tax | 150 yen per person per day (Nanto City) |
| Parking | Free |
The Gokayama Onsen hot spring at Gokasanso
What is the water like?
The spring is an alkaline simple spring that rises at the foot of Mount Ningyo. The FAQ says the source water is not hot enough on its own, so it is heated, and for hygiene it is filtered and recirculated; no water is added. The booking page adds that the bath uses 100 percent source water, with heating.
When are the baths open?
Overnight guests can use the large bath, open-air bath and sauna from check-in until 9:00 the next morning. The men’s and women’s sides are switched once a month. Shampoo, conditioner, skin care and hair dryers are provided; at the bath, a bath towel rents for 200 yen and a hand towel sells for 200 yen. Yukata come in adult and child sizes.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos, and they do not list a private bath. Ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Rooms at Gokasanso
There are 22 rooms in six types: a Japanese-style special room, a Western-style special room, a Japanese-Western room of 8 tatami mats with two beds, a Japanese room of 10 mats, a Western twin and a large Japanese room of two 10-mat rooms that can be divided with sliding doors. The Western special room has a unit bath and toilet, and the Japanese special room has its own bath and toilet; the other rooms have a toilet but no bath. In the Japanese room, futons are laid out during dinner. Some twin rooms have a wheelchair-accessible toilet. Every room has an electric kettle, an empty fridge, a safe and a washlet toilet.
Meals at Gokasanso
What is dinner like?
Dinner is a Japanese meal of about 10 dishes built on mountain vegetables, served in the dining room at tables and chairs, starting at 18:00 or 19:00 and ending by 20:30. On the Hida beef plan, the menu lists Gokayama tofu, salt-grilled char (iwana), A5 Hida beef cooked on a ceramic plate, tempura, Koshihikari rice from Nanto and a homemade pudding. Elementary school children get the same menu; younger children get a kids’ plate.
What about breakfast and extras?
Breakfast is a Japanese set meal in the dining room, with morning coffee. The breakfast times differ between official pages, so ask the inn when you check in. You can add char bone sake, two go, for 2,530 yen, or Gokayama tofu for two or three for 880 yen, even after you arrive.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The FAQ asks you to say in detail what you cannot eat when you book, and the inn will try to meet it. The official pages say nothing about vegetarian or halal meals.
Children, cancellation and payment
What do children cost?
The inn says small guests are very welcome. The booking page offers rates for ages 6 to 12 (children’s meal or no meal) and ages 3 to 5 (kids’ plate or no meal, with or without bedding).
What is the cancellation policy?
Fees are based on the basic rate: 20 percent 4 to 5 days before, 30 percent 2 to 3 days before, 50 percent the day before and 100 percent on the day. Online changes and cancellations are accepted until 12:00 on the day of your stay (14:00 for room only). See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay, and is there a bathing tax?
Pay at the inn, or by card in advance on the booking page. Cards listed are JCB, Visa, Mastercard, DC, UC, NICOS, American Express and UnionPay, plus PayPay. Nanto City charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per day, with children under 12 exempt; the official pages do not say whether plan prices include it. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
Getting to Gokasanso in Gokayama
By train and bus
The nearest station is Johana Station on the JR Johana Line, and the Kaetsuno or World Heritage bus takes about 30 minutes from there. The official access map points to the Kaminashi stop on buses from Kanazawa and Shin-Takaoka, and to the Tamukai stop on buses from Shirakawa-go. Ask the inn which stop suits your bus. A shuttle bus is listed among the facilities, but its times and range are not given.
By car
Leave the expressway at the Gokayama interchange and follow National Route 156. The inn gives about 30 minutes from Shirakawa-go and about an hour from Hida-Takayama or Kanazawa. Parking is free.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Gokasanso
- The English site has no contact form, and the English booking page did not show any plans when we read it. The buttons on this page go to the Japanese booking page.
- Buy snacks before you arrive: the nearest convenience store is about 30 minutes away. The inn has vending machines for soft drinks, beer and chuhai.
- To hear the folk songs, stay on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday.
- The last check-in time depends on the plan; if you will arrive in the evening, call the inn at +81-763-66-2316.
- Keep 150 yen per adult for the bathing tax in case it is not in your price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the onsen at Gokasanso a natural hot spring?
Can I use the bath at Gokasanso with a tattoo?
What is the cancellation policy at Gokasanso?
When can I hear the folk songs at Gokasanso?
How do I get to Gokasanso?
Bottom line (2026): Gokasanso is a public hot-spring lodge in Gokayama with a large bath, open-air bath and sauna, mountain-vegetable dinners and free folk songs three nights a week. Bring snacks, confirm your arrival time and book on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Gokasanso’s official pages: home (Japanese), English page, FAQ and cancellation policy, the official booking page, and Nanto City’s tax overview for the bathing tax. All were read on October 20, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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