Street food is the soul of travel! Visiting local specialty food shops is an essential joy of any journey. Gero Onsen and its surrounding areas are home to numerous culinary hotspots, allowing you to eat your way through while enjoying hot springs and shopping!
In this edition, we’ve carefully selected the top 10 popular shops in Gero perfect for eating on the go. Beyond the core hot spring district, there are hidden gem shops just a few steps away—don’t miss these delightful surprises!
【Yuamiya】Enjoy Unique Desserts While Soaking in a Footbath
The highly acclaimed “hot spring egg soft serve” at 【Yuamiya】 is a signature dessert that has been featured in the media multiple times. With a free footbath available in front of the shop, we recommend enjoying your treat while soaking! Mixing the hot spring egg with soft serve creates a novel texture that’s absolutely worth trying.
Another must-try dessert is the “Honwaka Pudding.” This pudding is heated with hot spring water, enhancing its sweetness and silky texture to another level. The shop also offers a variety of hot spring cosmetics, making it a great spot to pick up souvenirs!
- Yuamiya
- Address: 801-2 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: Check the official website
- Access: Approximately 7-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/yuamiya.gero/
【Rigolo×Rigolo】Indulge in “Beautiful Skin Desserts”!
As part of Gero Onsen’s “Beautiful Skin Project,” 【Rigolo×Rigolo】 has been offering “Beautiful Skin Desserts” since 2016. These desserts, made with local ingredients, are available at various establishments, including Japanese confectionery shops, cafes, souvenir stores, and hotels, each with its unique menu.
At the creative French restaurant and cafe 【Rigolo×Rigolo】, you can savor the “Gero Tea Pudding.” This dessert features a top layer of yogurt and sweet sake mousse paired with a bottom layer of Gero tea pudding, offering a delightful dual texture that’s even better when mixed!
- Rigolo×Rigolo
- Address: 1190-1 Koden, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 11:30–16:00 (lunch until 14:00) / 18:30–22:00 (may close early depending on circumstances)
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Access: Approximately 5-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/rigolorigolo_gero/
【Kougetsu Honke】A Hidden Flavor in Parfaits: Local Miso!?
【Kougetsu Honke】 is a long-established confectionery shop in Gero Onsen, operating since 1964, known for its cream-filled dorayaki. Their chestnut kinton in autumn is also a popular souvenir choice.
Their “Beautiful Skin Dessert” is the “Wa-MORI Parfait.” Made with dorayaki skin, yuzu jelly, cake, and topped with a sauce made from local miso, it offers a surprising and delightful flavor! A mini version is available, perfect for eating on the go.
- Kougetsu Honke
- Address: 1145-4 Koden, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 8:30–19:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Access: Approximately 5-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/kougetu_gero/
【Suimeikan Kitanoryo】Luxurious Lunch Experience! Day-Use Hot Springs Are Amazing Too
Even without staying overnight, many hotels and ryokan in Gero Onsen offer dining options. We recommend having lunch at 【Suimeikan】’s “Kitanoryo Restaurant.” The Hida beef rice bowl set includes thinly sliced Hida beef and beef sauce, enjoyable in three ways: plain, with condiments, or with broth poured over—endlessly delicious!
Be sure to try the deluxe Hida beef rice bowl set, featuring a layer of thinly sliced Hida beef and a layer of beef sauce for a luxurious experience. Pair it with a day-use hot spring for the perfect visit!
- Suimeikan Kitanoryo
- Address: 1268 Koden, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture (Suimeikan B1F)
- Business Hours: 11:00–14:00 (last order 13:30) / 17:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
- Closed: Mondays (postponed to the next day if a holiday)
- Access: Approximately 3-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: https://www.suimeikan.co.jp/cuisine/kitanoryo/
【Gero Pudding】Perfect for Photos! Cute and Delicious Pudding
【Gero Pudding】 is the first pudding specialty shop in Gero Onsen. In addition to classic firm puddings, they offer flavors like melon soda, matcha, coffee jelly, and seasonal strawberry. We recommend trying the Gero Pudding Soft Serve, topped with soft serve ice cream!
The shop’s retro bathhouse-themed decor is perfect for photos, so we suggest dining in. When eating in, puddings are served in iconic “Kerorin” buckets, adding a fun touch!
- Gero Pudding
- Address: 545-1 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 10:00–17:00
- Closed: Wednesdays (irregular holidays)
- Access: Approximately 10-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: http://www.gero-purin.com/
【Gero Onsen Gassho Village】Enjoy Tourism and Gourmet Delights!
Located on a hill in Gero Onsen, 【Gero Onsen Gassho Village】 is a theme park recreating traditional gassho-style houses from Shirakawa-go and other areas, featuring 10 relocated historic homes. In addition to touring the buildings and museum, you can participate in activities like pottery and handmade washi paper crafting.
As many visitors focus on restaurants in the hot spring district, the tearoom restaurant in Gassho Village is a lesser-known culinary gem! It offers charcoal-grilled river fish like ayu and trout, as well as soba, udon, gohei mochi, and Japanese desserts.
- Gero Onsen Gassho Village
- Address: 2369 Mori, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 8:30–17:00
- Admission: Adults (high school and above) 800 yen, Children (elementary and junior high) 400 yen
- Access: Approximately 20-minute walk from JR Gero Station
- Website: https://www.gero-gassho.jp/restaurant/
【Daian Shokudo】Feast on Gero’s Signature Dishes at a Local Diner!
“Keichan” is a local specialty of marinated chicken and cabbage grilled on a hot plate, a signature dish of Gero City. Several restaurants in Gero Onsen serve keichan.
Venture slightly outside the hot spring district to 【Daian Shokudo】, located in northern Gero along National Route 41, for a true local experience. In addition to keichan, their pork belly version, “Tonchan,” is also highly popular! Don’t forget to pair it with a serving of udon.
- Daian Shokudo
- Address: 876 Jorohagiwara, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 9:00–21:30 (last order 21:00)
- Closed: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month
- Access: Approximately 20-minute drive from central Gero
- Website: https://daiansyokudou.com/
【Mochi Kou】A Sweet Energy Stop During Your Sujikotsu Stroll
Located at the southern end of the Hida region, Kanayama Town in Gero City was once a post town along the Hida Kaido, known for its charming “Sujikotsu” alleys.
During a break from exploring Sujikotsu, visit 【Mochi Kou】, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in the Meiji era. Their traditional “Hida Mochi” and Tanba black bean daifuku are highly recommended. The black bean daifuku often sells out in the afternoon, so reservations are advised!
- Mochi Kou
- Address: 1935 Kanayama, Kanayama Town, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 8:00–18:00
- Closed: Tuesdays
- Access: Approximately 10-minute walk from JR Hida-Kanayama Station
- Website: https://hidakanayama.com/present.html
【Okuhida Sake Brewery】A Must-Visit for Sake Lovers! Free Tastings Available
The Hida region is home to many sake breweries, and Japanese sake is not to be missed. Located in Kanayama Town, 【Okuhida Sake Brewery】 is a historic brewery established in 1720, featuring a museum. Reservations for brewery tours are recommended to dive into the history of sake making.
After the tour, enjoy free tastings of sake, liqueurs, shochu, and vodka. Drivers or children can try non-alcoholic sweet sake. Purchase your favorite brews at the shop!
- Okuhida Sake Brewery
- Address: 1984 Kanayama, Kanayama Town, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 9:00–17:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Brewery Tour Times: 11:00 / 14:00 (approx. 45 minutes)
- Tour Fee: Free (minimum 2 people)
- Access: Approximately 10-minute walk from JR Hida-Kanayama Station
- Website: https://www.okuhida-sake.jp/store/
【Hime Tei】Exclusive Mineral Spring Cuisine in a Secluded Hot Spring Area
Osaka Town in northern Gero City has been known for its natural carbonated springs since ancient times, with a culture of drinking hot spring water and therapeutic bathing dating back to the Edo period. 【Himeshaga no Yu】 offers day-use hot spring experiences for a relaxing visit.
The restaurant next to the hot spring, 【Hime Tei】, serves mineral spring cuisine cooked with natural carbonated water, particularly their simmered tofu in carbonated spring water, which boasts a smooth, delicate texture and unique flavor! We recommend combining this with a Gero Onsen visit.
- Hime Tei
- Address: 1656 Ochiai, Osaka Town, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Business Hours: 10:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
- Operating Days: Weekends and holidays (check the official website for the calendar)
- Bathing Fee: Adults (junior high and above) 900 yen, Elementary students 500 yen
- Access: Approximately 15-minute drive from JR Hida-Osaka Station (shuttle service available for bathers or diners, reservation required)
- Website: https://hime-spa.jp/restaurant/
