Shirakawa-go no Yu is an 11-room inn on the south side of the gassho-style village of Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, Gifu. It calls itself the only natural hot spring inside the World Heritage area, and from its open-air bath you look over the Shogawa River toward the Hakusan mountains. Before you book, three things matter: the baths are shared with day visitors and there is no private bath; only one room has its own bath and toilet; and dinner starts at 18:30 in the dining room, so plan to arrive by about 17:00.
Shirakawa-go no Yu at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 337 Ogimachi, Shirakawa-mura, Ono-gun, Gifu |
| Phone | +81-5769-6-0026 (email and fax also listed) |
| Rooms | 11: Japanese and Western twin rooms |
| Check-in / out | 14:00 / 10:00 |
| Baths | Indoor and open-air bath, sauna; sodium chloride spring; no private bath |
| Guest bath hours | 6:00–22:00 |
| Meals | Dinner from 18:30 and breakfast, both in the dining room |
| Cards | VISA, Mastercard, JCB, Diners, AMEX |
| Parking | On site, about 25 cars |
| Smoking | All rooms non-smoking |
From the official site, read October 16, 2026.
The inn keeps its outside plain so it does not stand out in the gassho village, and says it keeps the inside clean. Floors are natural oak boards, and the inn uses no slippers: you walk the wooden corridors barefoot, and tabi socks are provided if you ask. All rooms are non-smoking because the thatched gassho houses nearby are vulnerable to fire.
Rooms at Shirakawa-go no Yu: which one has a bathroom?
| Room type | Number | What the inn says |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese room with bath and toilet (10 mats) | 1 | The only room with its own bath, toilet and washbasin; faces the river. The water is not hot spring water. |
| 14-mat Japanese room (Tochi-no-ma) | 1 | The largest room; 6 guests, up to 8 |
| Japanese rooms (8 or 6 mats) | 5 | 2 to 3 guests; two 8-mat rooms face the river, three 6-mat rooms face the parking lot |
| Western twin rooms | 4 | Two of 13 m² on the river side, two of 15 m² on the parking side |
From the official rooms page and room Q&A, read October 16, 2026.
Do the other rooms have their own toilet and bath?
The official pages do not say. They describe the 10-mat room as the only one with a bath and toilet, and do not list a bath or toilet for the other types. If this matters to you, ask the inn before you book.
What is in the room, and is there internet?
Rooms come with a tea set, toothbrush set, razor, towel, bath towel, yukata and tabi. Internet can be used; the front desk lends the equipment, so ask there on arrival.
The hot spring at Shirakawa-go no Yu
What are the baths like?
The indoor bath has walls and ceiling lined with hinoki cypress, and steps out to an open-air bath with views of the Shogawa River, the Hakusan range and gassho-style houses. The inn names Managonokashira (2,124 m) as the peak you see from the tub. The spring is sodium chloride. The men’s side has a dry sauna and the women’s side a mist sauna. Body soap and shampoo are provided, and a rest area has massage chairs.
When can guests bathe, and is there a private bath?
Guests can bathe from 6:00 to 22:00. There is no private bath. The inn also runs as a day-bathing spot from 7:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00), so you share the baths and coin lockers with day visitors in those hours. Day bathing is closed on Thursdays and on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays; the pages do not say whether the inn itself closes on those days, so check your dates with the inn.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Because the baths are shared with day visitors, email the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Getting to Shirakawa-go no Yu from the Shirakawago bus terminal
The inn is a 1-minute walk from the Shirakawa-go bus terminal. From the Ogimachi traffic light, turn toward the gassho village and take the right turn after about 50 m. The access page lists buses from Takayama (Nohi Bus, 50 minutes, some runs need a reservation), JR Kanazawa Station (1 hour 15 minutes, reservation required), Takaoka Station (2 hours 10 minutes), the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya (2 hours 10 minutes) and Gifu. By car, it is 7 minutes from Shirakawa-go IC on Route 156, with parking on site for about 25 cars. The official pages do not mention a pickup service. For the bus reservation rules, see our Takayama map and Shirakawa-go bus guide.
Meals at Shirakawa-go no Yu
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is Japanese-style, built on local ingredients, Hida specialties and the inn’s own dishes, with local Koshihikari rice cooked in a gas pot. Breakfast includes overnight-dried ayu fish, hoba-yaki (food grilled on a magnolia leaf) and Shirakawa-go’s firm ishiwari tofu. Both meals are served in the dining room, and dinner starts at 18:30. The inn does not serve meals to day visitors.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Food allergies must be discussed at least 2 weeks before your stay, and the inn says it cannot fully remove an ingredient. It does not take requests for disliked foods or low-sugar and low-salt meals. The official pages say nothing about vegetarian or halal meals, so ask before you book.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment
How much does a stay cost?
We could not read room prices on the official pages, so check the price for your dates on the official site or ask the inn. Solo stays are accepted with a surcharge. Day bathing is 900 yen for adults and 500 yen for elementary school children, with towels at 200 yen and bath towel rental at 300 yen. On top of the room rate, Shirakawa Village charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per day for guests aged 12 and over; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What about children?
The official pages do not list child rates. They do say that if you bring a child without telling the inn in advance, no meal can be prepared for the child, so include children in your booking.
What is the cancellation policy?
Fees start 7 days before: 30 percent of the basic room rate 4 to 7 days before, 50 percent 2 to 3 days before, 70 percent the day before and 100 percent on the day. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay and book?
The inn accepts VISA, Mastercard, JCB, Diners and AMEX. Bank transfer is possible if paid before the stay. It takes bookings from 3 months ahead, and questions are handled by fax or email (info@shirakawagou-onsen.jp).
What foreign guests should know before staying at Shirakawa-go no Yu
- No slippers: you walk the wooden corridors barefoot, or in tabi socks if you ask.
- Only one room has its own bath and toilet; book it early if you need one.
- Arrive by about 17:00 for the 18:30 dinner, and tell the inn if you will be late.
- Expect day visitors in the baths between 7:00 and 21:00; 6:00 and late evening are guest-only hours.
- Keep 150 yen per person aged 12 and over for the bathing tax, and send questions by email, not a form.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shirakawa-go no Yu have a private bath?
What time is check-in at Shirakawa-go no Yu?
What is the cancellation policy at Shirakawa-go no Yu?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Shirakawa-go no Yu?
How do I get to Shirakawa-go no Yu?
Bottom line (2026): Shirakawa-go no Yu is an 11-room inn with a sodium chloride hot spring inside the Shirakawa-go World Heritage village, a minute from the bus terminal. The baths are shared with day visitors, only one room has a bathroom, and dinner is at 18:30. Check prices and dates on the official site.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Shirakawa-go no Yu’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, meals, hot spring, access and the Q&A pages (general, baths, meals, rooms, other), and the Shirakawa Village bathing tax page. All were read on October 16, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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