We stayed in this hotel for only one night, the day before heading to the Takayama Spring Festival. What can I say? I wish I stayed there longer. This wonderful ryokan is near others in a remote location in the Japanese Alps, about an hour and a half drive from Takayama. It's super easy to reach it with the bus departing from the Takayama Station (although there are not many departing each day, so I recommend studying the schedule well and arranging the trip well in advance). The ryokan is wonderfully restored, offering all the modern comforts while maintaining the mysterious vibes that you would expect from such a place. There are only about 10 rooms, each of large size with the traditional futon beds prepared before sleeping. Most importantly, each room has its private outdoor hot spring bath. Besides the private hot spring baths in each room, the ryokan also has two common hot springs that one room per time can occupy. The only small complaint I have is that when we were there (April 2023) there were some workers on the opposite side of the garden who could very clearly see into the hot spring, so we didn't use them. I strongly recommend building a bamboo fence or something similar to ensure privacy. The reservation also includes one dinner and one breakfast, which are both amazing, both as a setting and as food quality. During our staying there we also managed to go for a hike in the nearby mountain and try a local izakaya down the road, both fun experiences!

The only tiny thing is the workers on the opposite side of the public hot spring, which prevented us from using them (although we may anyway have stayed more in the room's private one).

I wrote a bit about my experience with Hidaji in this article: https://www.porchandparish.com/2024/12/19/517106/travel-thursday-japan To expand upon it, let me just say that Hidaji exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were luxurious and comfortable. We enjoyed both in-room and private onsens and found the system to use the latter to be very simple and intuitive. The views from the private onsen were breath-taking. The snow on the river made the whole scene quiet and serene. The food was all top notch. Every meal had variety and interest, with a focus on local river fish, hida beef and milk, and vegetables. We also really enjoyed the juice! The apple was the best we'd ever had. The sake recommendations were all superb and we very much appreciated being sent back to our room after dinner with a "midnight snack." The hosts were friendly and engaging and all spoke English. We had no trouble communicating our needs. We appreciated the provided boots and coats to explore the surrounding town as well as their assistance with getting our luggage shipped to and from the location. Every night at dinner, the hosts asked us about our plans for the following day so that our room could be cleaned and made up appropriately. This was much appreciated. We also enjoyed an in-room massage that was very relaxing. The inn is about an hour from Takayama by the very convenient bus line. Just make sure to check the timelines carefully to make sure it is making a stop at "Fukuji Onsen". The same bus also takes you to the Shin-hotaka Ropeway, which I highly recommend. You can get discounted tickets to the ropeway combined with a multi-day bus pass at the Nohi Bus depot located adjacent to Takayama Train Station.

I can't think of anything

This will be remembered as one of the most special places I've ever stayed in my life! The room was just divine, so spacious and stylish with traditional finishes and special touches, with a huge picture window looking out onto the snowy landscape. We had our own onsen outside our back door. The tiny little "morning market" a short walk away area was fun to explore. All meals included and also delightful and expansive! Initially I thought of it as a splurge pricewise but when you consider our breakfast and multi course dinner was included it was very reasonable for such a special place. Magical.

"I cannot express how amazing my stay at the Hidaji hotel was. From the moment I entered, I was enveloped by an atmosphere of elegance, tradition and comfort. Every interaction with the team was warm and professional, and every detail of the room makes you feel the culture and tradition of this amazing country. The gastronomic experience was simply exceptional, with dishes that dazzled my taste buds. This stay has exceeded all my expectations and I can't wait to get back. Thank you for creating such a memorable and luxurious experience." PS: the thermal bath is extremely hot and relaxing!!!

An unforgettable experience from the moment we arrived. The ryokan is tranquil and beautifully appointed. The 2 Onsens are wonderful overlooking the river and extra special having our private onsen off our room. The dining experience - breakfast and dinner is unsurpassed - we have eaten at top restaurants all over the world and I rate the 2 dinners at Hidaji - both evenings totally different, as highlights of our dining experiences. Delicious fresh local ingredients meticulously presented and prepared, created beautiful taste and visual sensations. Breakfasts challenged our western palate somewhat but were amazing and forced us out of our comfort zone. The surprise acknowledgment for my husbands birthday also very much appreciated. I would like to thank the entire Team at Hidaji for making our stay just perfect and highly recommended this stunning ryokan.

Nothing

The hospitality was truly outstanding and the place itself beyond beautiful. Our room unfortunately had a bit of an old / not very pleasant smell (nothing the staff or owners can do anything about I suspect) but the amenities and vibe were amazing. The private onsen was clean and lovely. The food (breakfast and dinner) was another highlight, and they accommodated our vegetarian request for the most part. We suspect they did use fish stock in some dishes but if you aren't strict, you'll be fine.

Smell of the room, the rest was outstanding

Hidden in the mountains, peaceful and tranquil. Two private baths in the room and two other private outdoor baths for use so complete privacy and such a treat. Absolutely beautiful and well designed rooms. Modern yet included lots of traditional Japanese touches. Everything was so well designed in the room and those details don’t go unnoticed. Food was delicious as well, the beef served at dinner was fantastic. Would have loved to stay a couple more nights.

Service is polite but not the most hospitable

The ryokan lobby is cosy and looks luxurious. The room is spacious and has an open-air bath for our personal use, which is really nice. There are also two private onsens (no need to reserve) which offer a different experience and view. I like the Kose skincare products provided. Dinner and breakfast are both elaborate with many dishes. The staff are professional and helpful. They provided welcome drink (hot tea) and fresh milk. There are also complimentary drinks eg Coke which you can collect and bring to the room. We came from Matsumoto, stayed one night and drove to Shinhotaka Ropeway after checking out. Also stopped by at Kita Alps Bridge (Okuhida Onsengo Nakao) to take photos, before heading to Takayama.

The drive to the ryokan is through windy road (which is expected). There is not much to do in the vicinity but that is not really a problem since we stayed for one night only.

Fantastic few days at Hidaji. Beautiful spot in the mountains, one of our favourites stops during our holiday in Japan. Staff were very welcoming and helpful, we felt very well looked after. Lovely room with private Onsen, well equipped, nice toiletries and Dyson hairdryer. Large onsens can be reserved impromptuly, lovely to relax in with Mountain views and nice to experience a larger onsen as a couple. Food was fantastic, you are served in a private room within their restaurant area. It is quite an experience, an opportunity to try some great local Japanese cuisine. Arrive hungry! You are certainly well fed. We visited mid March and certainly needed the snow tyres on the hire car as had a big snow fall while there. We took advantage and had an afternoon ski session down the road at Hirayu onsen ski area, small choice of runs but fab snow, relatively quiet and was able to hire all equipment at a very reasonable price. Takayama approx an hour drive away, well worth a visit, loved all the Hida beef snacks.

Everything about our stay was amazing! The staff greeted us so warmly at the door, took care of our bags, and made us feel welcome right away. We stayed in a traditional room which was a very cool and unique experience that I would highly recommend. Both the dinner and breakfast were extremely well presented and there was a ton of food. We also got to wear a yukata to our meals which was fun! Although some of the food was out of my comfort zone, I really loved being able to have a very authentic Japanese dining experience and thoroughly enjoyed it. The onsen in our room was heavenly to soak in, and we also enjoyed the semi private cypress onsen at night, and could hear the river and look at the stars while we relaxed. If you want a laid back, relaxing, authentic Japanese experience I would recommend this Ryokan. Special thanks to the staff who went above and beyond to provide great service and made our stay special!

Nothing not to like!