Kanponoyado Gifu-hashima

The lunch buffet isn't piping hot across the board, but I thought it was still worth the 1,440 yen, especially with salad, dessert, and a drink included. There was yakitori, fried chikuwa with seaweed, and pork cutlet on regular plates, so those were cold but tasted good. Shrimp chili, sweet and sour pork, and meat and potato stew were warmed up, though not very hot. You could also get nigiri sushi, chirashi sushi with shredded egg, denbu, or nori to add, and curry. The ramen had an old-fashioned nostalgic taste, with pre-boiled noodles that stayed lukewarm once the soup was added. I’d read that it was best not to expect too much, so I decided to try it. The buffet is open Sundays only, not holidays, with the last entry at 1:30 PM and a one-hour limit. A bathing set costs 1,700 yen, while the buffet alone is 1,440 yen. Day-use bathing, listed as a facility usage fee, is 500 yen. I was too full to bathe straight away, so I asked the front desk if I could take a walk first. They said that was fine, with no re-entry ticket needed. A little over an hour later, as I came back in, a staff member caught my eye, smiled, pointed toward the large public bath entrance, and waved me in. It touched me that they remembered me.

The food was very satisfying, and we made full use of the hot springs during our day trip, with both a buffet lunch and set-course dinner. They also let us rest in a private room. The shuttle bus was convenient, and the staff were very polite. We went on a Sunday, when many local people were using the baths. Some had rather poor bathing manners, and that really lowered our impression of the visit. The facilities themselves were fine, if a little old, but some people's behavior felt unacceptable compared with other hot spring inns and facilities. I wish the local women, especially the elderly, would be more considerate while washing and bathing. Locals shouldn't bring down the inn's reputation.

For ¥1000 including tax, the bathing fee and daily lunch set are a great deal. I had fried chicken with a small side, pickles, and miso soup. The chicken was crispy outside and tasty. The hot spring water had the same brown color as Kaizu Onsen, but it was cooler, so I could stay in and relax for a long time.

The spicy burdock soup from the shop was delicious, and the bread was tasty and good value. The restaurant and facility both feel spacious and open. You can get a bath and lunch for just 1,000 yen Monday through Saturday. I first came here when my children were little and was happy with the friendly service then. I came for a day trip this time, and the staff were just as friendly.