Overview

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake places you in Shinhirayu Onsen, one of the five hot spring areas of Okuhida Onsenkyo. Surrounded by the Northern Japanese Alps and close to Hirayu, Shinhotaka, Kamikochi, and Takayama, this hotel works well when you want mountain scenery, strong hot spring character, and easy access to alpine sightseeing.

The main highlight is the hotel’s own emerald-colored source, used in Uguisu-no-Yu, a mixed open-air garden bath. The property has four private sources on site and produces a large amount of hot spring water, giving you several ways to enjoy bathing, from open-air baths and cave-style bathing to standing baths, reclining baths, saunas, and private open-air baths. Meals focus on Okuhida country cooking, Hida beef, hot spring-steamed dishes, and local ingredients from the mountains and rivers.

Accommodation

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake has 85 rooms, with 68 Japanese-style rooms and 17 Western-style rooms. All rooms are non-smoking, including heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes, with smoking limited to the first-floor smoking area.

The Japanese-style rooms have a classic 10-tatami layout with an entrance area and wide veranda. From the window, you can look toward the Okuhida mountains and the Hirayu River, giving the room a calm mountain-inn feeling. These rooms suit you well when you want tatami flooring, futon bedding, and a more traditional stay.

The Western-style rooms are about 34㎡ and offer a bed-based stay for two people, with some rooms able to support a third person using a sofa bed. These rooms work well when you prefer Western bedding but still want access to the same hot spring facilities, meals, and mountain setting.

Rooms include useful basics such as air conditioning, refrigerator, TV, safe, kettle with tea set, hair dryer, washlet toilet, bath, towels, yukata, slippers, and bath items. The baths in the rooms are not hot springs, so the main onsen experience takes place in the shared hot spring areas or in the reserved private open-air baths.

Dining

Dining at Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake focuses on Okuhida’s generous country-style hospitality. Dinner is based on onsen seiro-mushi irori kaiseki, where seasonal ingredients are steamed using the hotel’s own drinkable hot spring water and served around an irori-style dining setting.

The meal highlights ingredients from the Okuhida region, including mountain vegetables, river fish, and local dishes shaped by the clear water and cool mountain climate. Hida beef also plays an important role, with A4-grade or higher beef used in selected dishes. The beef is known for fine marbling, soft texture, and rich flavor.

The hotel also raises soft-shelled turtle, sturgeon, and eel using its own Yakedake hot spring water. Soft-shelled turtle dishes and fresh caviar may appear as special dishes depending on availability and plan. Additional dishes may include iwana river fish prepared as sashimi or grilled with salt, ayu in season, Hida beef steak, and other local specialties.

Breakfast and dinner are served in private dining rooms or banquet-style dining areas, not in your room. Dinner starts during the early evening, and breakfast starts in the morning within set dining hours.

Onsen and Wellness

The hot spring experience is the strongest reason to stay at Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake. The property owns four private sources and produces around one ton of hot spring water per minute. Uguisu-no-Yu uses the hotel’s emerald-colored source and is described as Japan’s only ultra-deep hot spring of its kind, with minerals and natural components from ancient seabed layers.

Uguisu-no-Yu is a 100% source-flowing mixed open-air garden bath. You wear yuami bathing wear in this area, so couples and families can enjoy the bath together more comfortably. The mixed area is available during daytime and morning hours, while late night through early morning is reserved for women only. Children’s yuami is not prepared.

The bath area includes Uguisu-no-Yu, Utase-no-Yu waterfall bathing, Bakusendo cave bath, covered hinoki open-air baths, standing baths, reclining baths, rock open-air baths, large indoor baths, saunas, and a Korean-style bedrock sauna. Some indoor baths are not hot spring water because of piping conditions, so the source-flowing open-air areas are the main place to enjoy the hotel’s natural spring character.

The spring quality is sodium bicarbonate and chloride spring water, classified as neutral, hypotonic, and high temperature. The bicarbonate spring helps skin feel smooth after bathing, while the chloride quality helps the body stay warm. The water also contains a high level of metasilicic acid, a natural component often linked with skin comfort.

Tenno-sen is a mixed open-air bath for overnight stays, located beside the river a short walk from the main building. It has separate changing rooms and no washing area. The hotel also has two reserved private open-air baths, available by same-day reservation after arrival. These private baths give you a quieter outdoor bathing space with mountain views.

Guests with Tattoos

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake has shared public hot spring baths, including mixed open-air bathing areas. Tattoos are not permitted in the shared bathing areas. You can use the reserved private open-air baths instead, subject to same-day availability.

Facilities

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake has large hot spring bathing areas, mixed open-air baths, reserved private open-air baths, Tenno-sen for overnight stays, saunas, a Korean-style bedrock sauna, a post-bath rest area, a footbath, restaurant spaces, private dining and banquet rooms, a lobby, front desk, shop, laundry room, free Wi-Fi throughout the building, parking, and a first-floor smoking area.

The post-bath rest area has tatami flooring and cold Okuhida water, giving you an easy place to cool down after bathing. The footbath beside the rest area is useful after travel, hiking, or sightseeing. The shop carries Okuhida products, local sake, and the hotel’s ultra-deep Yakedake hot spring water.

The hotel also has a distinctive karaoke train in front of the entrance. Two former Hokkaido railway cars have been turned into karaoke spaces, creating one of the more unusual after-dinner activities at the property.

Activities

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake is a strong base for mountain sightseeing. Kamikochi can be reached by bus from Hirayu Onsen, with clear rivers, forest paths, and famous views of the Northern Alps. Shinhotaka Ropeway is also close by and gives you high mountain views from the ropeway route.

You can also visit Norikura, Shirakawa-go, Hida Takayama, Gattan Go rail biking, Hida Great Limestone Cave, Okuhida Bear Park, Hirayu Waterfall, and ski areas such as Hirayu and Honokidaira in winter. Seasonal events around Okuhida include cherry blossom festivals, open-air bath day, summer festivals, autumn foliage, winter light-ups, and frozen waterfall events.

The area works well across the year. Spring brings fresh green mountain scenery, summer is good for alpine walks, autumn brings deep color across the valleys, and winter turns Okuhida into a snow-covered hot spring region.

Additional Features

Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake is best for you if you want a mountain hotel with strong hot spring variety, an emerald source-flowing open-air bath, mixed bathing with yuami wear, Okuhida country cuisine, Hida beef, private dining spaces, and easy access to Kamikochi, Shinhotaka Ropeway, Takayama, and other Northern Alps sights.

Check-in starts at 15:00, and check-out is at 10:00. You also have all non-smoking rooms, free Wi-Fi, parking, a shop, laundry room, karaoke train, banquet spaces, reserved private open-air baths, a footbath, and winter access guidance for snow tires or chains during the colder season.