Kisoya is a Japanese-style inn in Gero Onsen, Gifu, built in 1988 and renovated many times since. It stands opposite Gero City Hall, about 5 minutes on foot from the busy hot-spring streets, and its name comes from the former proprietress, who loved the old Kisoji road. Its trademark is a large bath with tatami mats on the floor, so the washing area is less slippery. Before you book, three things matter: there is no private bath; the FAQ says no staff speak foreign languages; and no room is non-smoking.
The booking page opens on the inn’s Japanese website.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Kisoya
- The website has no English pages; only a machine-translation widget. The FAQ says no staff speak foreign languages.
- Phone: +81-576-25-3230, 7:00 to 23:00 Japan time. There is no public email address; the site’s inquiry link opens an AI chat that cannot take bookings.
- No room is non-smoking; the inn can only deodorize a room on request. Public areas are non-smoking. See our guide to smoking rooms in Japanese hotels.
- The doors are locked at about 0:30 at night; ring the bell to get in.
- The room baths are not hot-spring water; only the large baths are.
Kisoya at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 971-1 Mori, Gero, Gifu (opposite Gero City Hall) |
| Phone | +81-576-25-3230 (7:00–23:00 Japan time) |
| Check-in | From 14:00; checkout depends on the plan |
| Rooms | All Japanese-style; up to 120 guests in total |
| Baths | Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor baths, 14:00 to 10:00 |
| Dinner | Served in your room (except groups) |
| Station | Gero Station, about 1 km; pickup on request |
| Parking | Free outdoor lot, about 30 cars |
| Wi-Fi | Free throughout the building |
From the official site, read October 14, 2026.
Rooms at Kisoya
Which room types are there?
All rooms are Japanese-style with futons; a folding bed can be set up if you need one. The rooms page lists four types:
| Room | Guests | Bath |
|---|---|---|
| 8-mat Japanese room | 1–4 | With a unit bath, or no bath (cheaper) |
| 10-mat Japanese room | 1–4 | With a unit bath, or no bath (cheaper) |
| 10-mat room with outdoor tub | 2–3 | Shigaraki-ware outdoor tub, open 24 hours |
| Special room (12, 6 and 12.5 mats) | 2–10 | Private outdoor tub, open 24 hours |
Room tubs are not filled with hot-spring water. From the official rooms page and FAQ.
What is in the room, and is the inn accessible?
Every room has air conditioning, a TV, a safe, a fridge, tea, a kettle, a hair dryer, a humidifying air purifier and a Western-style toilet with a washlet. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the building. There is no fully barrier-free room, but the inn can give you a room with fewer steps if you ask in advance; an elevator serves every floor, and there is one wheelchair-accessible toilet on the 1st floor. Chairs and a table for meals can be arranged on request.
The baths at Kisoya
Gero Onsen is one of Japan’s three famous hot springs, and the inn describes its water as alkaline, about 55°C at the source and used at about 42°C. The FAQ says both the indoor and outdoor baths are free-flowing from the source, with partial recirculation.
When are the baths open, and what is special about them?
The large baths are open from 14:00 until 10:00 the next morning, then closed for cleaning. Men and women have their own indoor and outdoor baths, and they do not swap. The washing areas are laid with tatami mats so they are less slippery, the outdoor bath has small stones underfoot and handrails into the tub, and both sides have a baby bath. Shampoo, conditioner, body soap and hair dryers are provided, but bring the towels from your room; there are none in the bath. The women-only rose bath ended in January 2025.
Is there a private bath, and can I bathe with a tattoo?
There is no private bath to reserve and no sauna. If you want to bathe alone, the two room types with an outdoor tub are the only option, and that water is not from the hot spring. The official pages do not mention tattoos, so ask the inn before you book; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask. Note that the inn also sells day-use entry to the baths, so you may share them with outside visitors in the afternoon and evening.
Meals at Kisoya
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is a multi-course meal built around Hida beef, Hida pork and local seasonal food, and it is served in your room (groups eat in a banquet room). Breakfast is a Japanese set meal. You can ask for more rice at both meals. The official pages give different places for breakfast, so ask the inn where yours will be served. Extra dishes can be ordered, such as a 200 g Hida beef steak for 8,000 yen, Hida beef sukiyaki (100 g) for 4,500 yen or Hida beef with hoba miso for 4,000 yen, all before tax. The inn has no lunch or late-night food.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The FAQ says the inn handles allergies if you tell it when you book, and will try to leave out foods you dislike, though not always in busy seasons. The official pages do not mention vegetarian or halal meals. If you bring your own drinks, the inn asks you to order at least the first drink from it.
Prices, children and cancellation at Kisoya
How much does a stay cost, and what taxes are added?
Room prices load in a way we could not read, so check the booking page for your dates. Gero City charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per night for stays with hot-spring bathing, and since October 1, 2025, an accommodation tax of 100 yen per person per night when the room-only rate is under 5,000 yen and 200 yen when it is 5,000 yen or more; elementary school children and younger are exempt from the accommodation tax. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
Children are welcome from age 0. Under 3s who need no meals and no bedding stay free; if you enter them as infants on a booking site, a charge may appear. Preschoolers with meals and bedding pay 50 percent of the adult rate (with a children’s meal), elementary school children 70 percent, and junior high students the adult rate. There is a free kids’ room with wooden toys, children’s yukata from about 100 to 140 cm, and baby food can be warmed.
What is the cancellation policy, and how do I pay?
The FAQ says cancellation fees depend on the plan and are shown on the official booking site; if you book through a travel agent or another booking site, that site’s rules apply. If one or two people drop from a group and you tell the inn by the morning of the stay, it may not charge a fee. See our hotel cancellation guide. On room-only and breakfast plans you pay at check-in. Most cards such as Visa and Mastercard are accepted, but not on every plan, so check first.
Getting to Kisoya in Gero Onsen
The nearest station is Gero Station on the JR Takayama Line, about 1 km away: roughly 15 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by car. Tell the inn your arrival time and staff will pick you up; if you call from the station, they come in about 5 to 10 minutes. From Chubu Centrair airport, the inn suggests the Meitetsu line to Nagoya or Shin-Unuma, then the JR Takayama Line to Gero. There is also a direct bus from Nagoya Station. Drivers can use a free outdoor lot for about 30 cars, and the inn advises carrying tire chains in winter. A convenience store and a coin laundry are next door, and the Tanokami footbath is in front of the inn.
Frequently asked questions
Do the staff at Kisoya speak English?
Does Kisoya have a private bath?
What time is check-in at Kisoya?
Do children stay free at Kisoya?
Is there a shuttle from Gero Station to Kisoya?
Bottom line (2026): Kisoya is a family-friendly Gero Onsen inn in the town center with tatami-floored baths, in-room dinners and Hida beef. There is no private bath, no non-smoking room and no foreign-language help, so book on the Japanese booking page, write your requests down, and confirm checkout and the breakfast room with the inn.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Kisoya’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, meals, hot springs, facilities, access and FAQ; and Gero City’s pages on the accommodation tax and bathing tax. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check with the inn before you book.
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