pension jodel

The mountain lodge feel made this place seem far removed from everyday life, with its high ceilings and spacious interior. It's in a quiet spot off the road to the ropeway. I came back to Okuhida Onsen for the first time in over a decade, and was very happy with the stay. I relaxed in the large, rustic outdoor bath, surrounded by mountains and a starry sky, with natural hot spring water flowing freely. Dinner was Hida beef shabu-shabu, and the quality was so good there was more meat than I could finish. Breakfast's homemade Hoba Miso with egg yolk was rich but mild. I ate three bowls of rice with it. The hospitality felt warm and homelike, so I could unwind without any pressure. There's also a shortcut to the second ropeway, which makes sightseeing convenient.

The landlady was friendly and chatty, and her advice about the weather turned out to be spot on. I was planning to visit the Shinhotaka Ropeway the next day, but she looked at the sky and suggested Kamikochi instead because it was cloudy in the mountains. I changed plans at the last minute, checked YouTube, and saw that it really was cloudy. Kamikochi was about a 20-minute drive away, and I caught a bus there. It felt like the kind of judgment you get from someone who's watched the skies from this guesthouse for years. Thank you. The open-air bath was huge, probably the largest single one I've seen at a hot spring, and it can be used as a free family bath. Very convenient for families staying here.

July 20, 2025 The retro building has a warm, welcoming feel, and I enjoyed talking with the friendly owner. The pension is very reasonably priced, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking to keep costs down. There are hundreds of manga in the lounge, including plenty of horror titles, perhaps the owner's hobby. The private outdoor bath is wonderfully spacious. During the day I could see the Shinhotaka Ropeway in the distance and Mount Yakedake, and after sunset the starry sky made the soak special. It was satisfying to have all that room to myself. Dinner was my first time trying oil fondue. There's a coffee shop and liquor store about a 30-second walk away, where I bought local Hida beer to bring to dinner. You can bring beer or wine from there.

The family who runs the inn is kind, and it felt relaxing to stay there. We could bring our own alcohol. For dinner we had oil fondue, which looked like a small serving at first but was surprisingly filling, and the sauce was delicious. We added Hoba Miso Steak and enjoyed that too. The char was cold and bland, though, which was disappointing. Breakfast came with an unbelievable amount of Hoba Miso (lol). It tasted great, but the side dishes were all strongly seasoned, enough to make this middle-aged couple worry about blood pressure (^o^;). The rice and tea were really tasty. Having the whole outdoor bath to ourselves felt luxurious. A few things could be better: the old indoor shower makes the temperature hard to adjust, the outdoor bath doesn't have enough lighting and feels too dark and unsafe at night, and there's no air conditioning, so voices from outside come through the open windows. The cool morning breeze was lovely (^^). Thanks for looking after us.