[2025 Gero Attraction] Travel Guide for Onsenji Temple (Updated May)

I visited Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. This is Onsenji Temple. From the temple grounds, located at the top of 173 stone steps, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Gero Onsen town. In front of the main hall, there is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai called "Yugake Yakushi," and hot spring water gushes out from its base. Be sure to check it out! The origin of Onsenji Temple is said to be tied to a legend where, when the original hot spring source dried up, a white heron indicated the location of a new hot spring. A statue of Yakushi Nyorai was then enshrined at that spot. For those who find climbing the stairs difficult, there is a slope on the right side that allows you to skip about two-thirds of the steps.

As soon as I got off the JR train, I was amazed by the "Gero Onsen" flag against the backdrop of red maple leaves. See Figure 1. It turned out to be a hand bath. Gero Onsen is so capricious. It welcomes you in this special way and tells you that it is one of the three famous hot springs in Japan and is irreplaceable. Come, I'll be waiting for you! Walking into the hot spring village, you can see free hand and foot baths everywhere. Fortunately, we brought a small towel with us so we could soak in them again and again. Some are natural open-air baths, while others are made from milk. Anyway, the merchants have plenty of ideas to attract your attention. There are innumerable hot spring hotels, and the restaurants, snacks, souvenirs, etc. derived from the hot springs are dazzling. A stream flows gently in the hot spring village, with various maple trees on both sides, which is unexpectedly beautiful. The hot spring village has friendly marked all the scenic spots. You just need to follow the signs to reach the scenic spots you want to visit. Yuqing Park is a beautiful scenery that cannot be missed, and Gassho Village is a must among musts. The half-day tour was very satisfying and memorable. The beautiful scenery and delicious food were engraved in my heart and stomach. It felt worth it. Finally, we took the JR express back to Takayama. Thinking of staying there for a few days next time

In the Shiro Onsen Temple in Japan, visit the Hongye Scenic Area Gero Hot Spring Street along Feiyuchuan. It takes only 10 minutes to walk from the hot spring street to the Hot Spring Temple, but you must visit the pharmacist Buddha and climb the 173 steps. It took a cemetery to reach the hot spring temple on the mountain. In Japan, because the ancestors will be blessed for generations, the cemetery is where the feng shui treasures are, and the burial ground next to the houses is quite normal. Walking into the gate of the Hot Spring Temple, facing the top of the main hall, it is the most lively maple leaf group in the most colorful color seen on this trip. At the front of the door, there is an inconspicuous stone Buddha statue, which is the pharmacist who has been legendized as an egret. It is said that in addition to blessing the local residents, the pharmacists in the hot spring temple can enjoy the endless hot springs, and the spring water can be used to treat some disease in a certain place. The soup pharmacist comes to the deity. Hot Spring Temple is built on the mountainside. It is small in size but quite a hole in the sky. There is a soup in the right hand in the gate, facing the main hall. In front of the Buddha, the foot of the maple is not colliding here, but it is very harmonious. Going around the hall, there is still a small inari shrine. The maple trees are quite old, and the branches are tall and lush, and a maple trail is built. Continue along the path and you will be able to reach the famous Yunoshima Onsen Hotel in Gero. 6 points before the night, Lu has been accompanied by autumn rain. At this time, the hot spring temple is brightly lit. Under the maple trees, the lights emitted by the high-wattage lights illuminate the night sky. Under the setting of the night, the color of the maple leaves is more dazzling than during the day.