Sasara is a 44-room inn in Gero Onsen, Gifu, that calls itself an art inn, with waterfalls and art in its two lobbies. Twenty rooms have their own outdoor bath, and every bath in the inn runs on hot-spring water, 24 hours a day. Before you book, three things matter: guests with tattoos are refused in the large baths; the English pages show older prices; and the inn is closed on December 1 and 2, 2026.
Gero is a common stop on the way to Takayama; see our Takayama map.
Sasara at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1412-1 Mori, Gero, Gifu |
| Rooms | 44, of which 20 have an outdoor bath |
| Buildings | Sasara-kan, Moriyama-kan and the detached Yurari |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 10:30 (12:00 for 1,600 yen) |
| Baths | Hot spring, 24 hours; tattoos refused in the large baths |
| Price | From 20,240 yen per person with dinner and breakfast (Japanese site) |
| Taxes | Bathing tax 150 yen + accommodation tax 200 yen |
| From the station | Free taxi both ways from Gero Station |
From the official Japanese pages, read October 12, 2026.
Rooms at Sasara
Which building should I choose?
Sasara-kan, the newer building, looks over the spa town, the Hida River and the mountains from every room, and holds the special rooms with outdoor baths of 55 to 115 m². Moriyama-kan, the main building, has Japanese rooms of 8 to 10 mats, some with a small garden and their own bath; to reach the large bath from there you go down 28 steps through a basement corridor. Yurari is a detached old-farmhouse-style cottage of 120 m² with a 60 m² garden and two outdoor baths, for up to 8.
Is any room accessible?
The Japanese-Western room Komorebi has a carpeted area you can enter with a wheelchair or stroller. The inn also lends baby goods such as a bouncer and a baby bath.
The baths at Sasara
When can I bathe?
All the baths, in the rooms and the large bath, use the hot spring, a clear alkaline simple spring, and you can bathe 24 hours a day apart from cleaning. The large bath is on the top floor, with a cypress outdoor bath. There are also two private outdoor baths, one built around a 700-year-old tree root, and a stone sauna from 16:00 to 24:00.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The inn states that guests with tattoos are firmly refused in the large bath and the cypress outdoor bath. It says nothing about the private baths, so if this matters, book a room with its own outdoor bath and ask. Our tattoo and onsen guide covers the options.
Meals at Sasara
Meals are served in your room or a private dining room; Sasara-kan and the rooms with outdoor baths can have dinner in the room. The signature dinner is Hida beef: the standard plan includes two Hida beef dishes, and the all-Hida-beef dinner costs 6,050 yen more. Rice is Ryu no Hitomi, cooked in a clay pot. Breakfast is a Japanese course, last start 8:30. For allergies, the FAQ asks you to consult the inn: the dishes are Japanese and the stocks use bonito, dried sardines, kelp, shrimp, crab and scallop.
Prices and rules at Sasara
How much does a stay cost?
Per person per night with dinner and breakfast, tax included, the Japanese pages start at 20,240 yen in a Moriyama-kan Japanese room and 29,920 yen in a standard Sasara-kan room for two, rising to 69,080 yen in Yurari; the night before a holiday costs more. On top, there is a bathing tax of 150 yen and Gero City’s accommodation tax of 200 yen per person per night. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What about children?
For preschool children, the FAQ lists a facility fee of 1,100 yen if they need no meals or bedding, or 2,200 yen for breakfast, 3,300 yen for dinner and 3,300 yen for bedding.
Is anything closed in 2026?
A notice dated September 19, 2026 says two rooms, the special room Tsuki no Yubune and Bosco, are being renovated until December 31, with loud work from 10:30 to 15:00 between September 20 and December 31, and the whole inn closed on December 1 and 2. The English pages do not carry this notice.
Getting to Sasara in Gero Onsen
The inn offers a free taxi both ways from JR Gero Station: get in any taxi waiting at the station, and for the return the inn calls one for you. By car from the Nagoya side, follow Route 41 north and turn left at the Mori signal. Guests can charge an electric car free at six chargers.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Sasara
- The English pages show older prices and leave out check-in times and the free taxi; trust the Japanese pages.
- Call +81-576-24-1777 or use the contact form; there is no public email address.
- Arrive in December? Avoid December 1 and 2.
- With a tattoo, book a room with its own outdoor bath.
- Tell the inn about allergies before arrival; seafood is in the stocks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the baths at Sasara with a tattoo?
Is there a shuttle from Gero Station to Sasara?
What time is check-in at Sasara?
Is Sasara closed at any time in 2026?
What taxes are added at Sasara?
Bottom line (2026): Sasara is a 44-room Gero Onsen inn with hot spring in every bath around the clock, Hida beef dinners and a free taxi from Gero Station. Tattoos are refused in the large baths, the English pages are out of date, and it closes on December 1 and 2, 2026.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Sasara’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), rooms, baths, FAQ, access and the renovation notice; and Gero City. All were read on October 12, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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