Gifu has many public baths!

Gifu City is a delightful place for bath lovers, offering a wide range of options from familiar public baths you can drop into to well-equipped super sento. The appeal lies in being able to choose according to how you want to spend your time, whether you want to feel refreshed in a hot bath or unwind by soaking in the tub. You can experience a warm atmosphere in traditional, community-rooted bathhouses, or enjoy meals and relaxation at larger facilities. There are also places conveniently located near stations or easily accessible by car with ample parking, making them practical for everyday use. It's reassuring to have a reliable spot for both leisurely weekend relaxation and quick mood changes. Even the time spent deciding where to go becomes enjoyable, so find a place that piques your interest and fully savor the unique bath experience Gifu City has to offer.

10 Recommended Sento in Gifu

Rokujo Onsen Kitano-yu

Source: Nifty Onsen

Rokujo Onsen Kitano-yu, located along National Route 21 in Gifu City, is a super sento with a variety of baths to enjoy. With outdoor and indoor baths combined, it offers a rich selection including high-concentration carbonated baths, hydrogen baths that warm you from the core, and beauty baths with slightly alkaline water for smooth skin. You can also thoroughly relieve daily fatigue in individual pot baths or relaxing reclining baths. After your bath, we recommend unwinding on a reclining chair in the relaxation area on the second floor. The dining area offers a satisfying menu at reasonable prices, making it perfect for a full day out with the family. A ganbanyoku (hot stone bath) is also available and can be enjoyed along with your bath. Ample parking, including a multi-story parking garage, is provided for convenient car access. If you're looking for an accessible public bath in Gifu City, be sure to check it out.

Aqua Resort Gifu Fuji no Yu

Aqua Resort Gifu Fuji no Yu, located in the Masaki area of Gifu City, is a super sento that has been loved by locals for many years. Their commitment is to use nano-water in all baths, and they offer a variety of tubs including carbonated baths, jet baths, and open-air baths featuring black silica. The carbonated bath is highly regarded for promoting metabolism, making it perfect for a long soak to wash away fatigue. The jet bath, with its strong yet comfortable water flow, is also popular for easing muscle stiffness.

The dining area inside the facility has many tatami mat seats, allowing even families with small children to relax comfortably. A hair salon and relaxation services are also available, making it convenient to take care of your appearance after your bath. On weekends and holidays, the facility opens early in the morning, making it ideal for a morning bath. Its location near Masa 21 makes it easy to stop by after shopping, and with ample parking, it's safe for those coming by car.

Mitahora Jinbutsu Onsen

Mitahora Jinbutsu Onsen, nestled in the mountains of Gifu City, is a natural hot spring facility operated by the local government for day-trippers. The spring water is a simple iron cold spring, and the water flowing into the bath is reddish-brown. It's renowned for warming the body deeply from within, making it perfect for sensitivity to cold and fatigue recovery. The indoor bath offers both the red iron-rich spring water and clear heated water, set at a lukewarm temperature suitable for families with children. A walking bath is also available, providing a comfortable space for leisurely body relaxation. The water is completely replaced daily, ensuring fresh hot spring enjoyment every visit.

Shampoo and towels are not provided, so bring your own or purchase them at the reception. Residents of Gifu City can enjoy discounted rates, making it an excellent option for casual, everyday visits. Access is conveniently located right off the Mitahora Jinbutsu Onsen bus stop via the Miwakko bus. Parking is also available, ensuring peace of mind for those arriving by car.

Plaza Kaketo Waste Heat Utilization Facility

Plaza Kaketo, located in the northern part of Gifu City, is an eco-friendly complex facility with a heated swimming pool and public bath that utilizes residual heat from a waste incineration plant. The bath area features a spacious main bath, along with a comfortable bubble bath and a cold water bath. Seasonal baths like iris baths and yuzu baths are also available, adding a pleasant variety to each visit. Although it's not a hot spring, its excellent value for money (under 500 yen) is highly praised in reviews. Visiting during off-peak hours allows for a more relaxed experience.

With a 25-meter heated pool, a spiral slide, and a shallow pool for children, it's perfect for families. The sequence of swimming in the pool and then warming up in the bath is popular with children. The facility also has a manga corner and a Japanese-style resting area, providing a relaxing space after your bath. Remember to bring your own shampoo and other toiletries as they are not provided. It is located at 1-104 Oku, Gifu City, and parking is available, so driving is convenient.

Nohara-yu

Nohara-yu, located just a short walk from Yanagase, Gifu City's entertainment district, is a long-established public bathhouse that has been in operation since the Meiji era. The spring water is a sodium bicarbonate hot spring, a genuine natural source transported by tank truck. The water has a smooth feel on the skin and is beloved by regulars for its expected beautifying effects. The bathroom features a large main bath, a Jacuzzi, an electric bath, and a cold plunge, offering a simple yet fulfilling lineup. The water temperature is rather hot, perfect for washing away fatigue after work.

Stepping under the noren curtain, you're greeted by a traditional bandai (bath attendant's stand), and everywhere you look, from the tiled tubs to the wooden fixtures and woven bamboo changing baskets, you'll feel a sense of nostalgia from the Showa era. The beautiful floral tiles in the bathroom also speak to its carefully preserved history. It's quite rare in a city to find a natural hot spring that operates all year round for a mere 500 yen coin. Rental towels and shampoo are available for sale, so you can visit empty-handed. It's about a 12-minute walk from Meitetsu Gifu Station and just a short walk from the Yanagase bus stop. Since there is no parking, please use nearby coin parking lots.

Matsunoyu

Matsunoyu, located in the Kano area of Gifu City, is a retro public bathhouse that retains its charm from the Showa era, built in 1956. As you step under the noren curtain, you're greeted by a traditional bandai (bath attendant's stand), and everywhere you look—from the wooden geta boxes and lockers to the woven wicker changing baskets—is filled with nostalgia. The floral tiles in the bathroom are also beautiful, reflecting the history of careful maintenance. The bath features a jet bath and an electric bath, both praised for their comfortable stimulation that helps relax the body. The water is set at a gentle temperature, making it safe for families with small children.

From the changing room, you can see a garden with koi fish swimming in a pond, a unique feature of this bathhouse. It's a must-visit spot for lovers of retro public baths. The entrance fee is 500 yen, and since shampoo and soap are not provided, remember to bring your own. It's about a 3-minute walk from the Kano Yabacho bus stop, and parking is also available for those coming by car.

Kagiya Onsen

Kagiya Onsen, located along Tettori-dori in Gifu City, is a public bathhouse (sento) that, despite its name including "onsen" (hot spring), has long been cherished by the local community. It features a layout with parking on the first floor and the bathing area on the second. After checking in at the front desk, you ascend the stairs to the bath. Though compact, the bathing area offers a rich variety of baths, including jet baths, sitting jets, cascading baths (utatase-yu), electric baths, and cold plunge baths. Particularly noteworthy are the two types of cascading baths, which provide strong water pressure on the shoulders and back, perfect for relieving stiffness from desk work. There's also a lukewarm bath close to a "neutral temperature bath," which is a welcome feature for those who wish to soak for a long, relaxed period.

The admission fee is a reasonable 500 yen, and its easy accessibility makes it appealing for a quick visit after work. A coin laundry is also attached, allowing you to enjoy a bath while waiting for your laundry. It's just a short walk from the Kagiya bus stop, and parking is available, so car access is also convenient.

Yuno Yamayo

Yuno Yamayo, located in the Minamihonsho area of Gifu City, is a public bathhouse that offers wood-fired hot water, a rare feature nowadays. The facility has parking and a coin laundry on the first floor, and the bathing area on the second, with a charmingly nostalgic Showa-era exterior. Many are surprised by the soft and gentle feel of the water heated by wood fire. The bathroom boasts a varied selection of tubs, including jet baths, bubble baths, electric baths, medicinal baths, and cold plunge baths, providing high satisfaction despite its compact size. Its consistent cleanliness is also a reassuring point.

The admission fee is 500 yen, offering a tranquil space beloved by local regulars. It’s a perfect spot for a quick bath after work or a leisurely warm-up on a day off. Located about a 14-minute walk from Gifu Station and about a 1-minute walk from the Kanō-Honmachi bus stop. Parking is also available, making it accessible by car.

Koen no Yu

Koen no Yu, located right next to Gifu Park, is a traditional public bathhouse that has been cherished by locals for many years. The spacious main bath in the bathing area is divided into sections like Jacuzzi, jet bath, and electric massage bath, allowing visitors to enjoy various types of baths in one space. In a separate room, there's a daily changing herbal bath, offering different scents each visit, such as wine baths or lavender baths, which adds to the enjoyment. The soft water leaves the skin feeling smooth, and its silky texture after bathing is highly praised as addictive.

A unique feature of this bathhouse is its somewhat unusual structure, with a bone-setting clinic located next door. The admission fee is 500 yen, and since amenities like shampoo are not provided, bring your own or purchase them at the reception. After your bath, we recommend relaxing with a "Vitayogurt" from Seki Milk. It's about a 3-minute walk from the Gifu Park History Museum bus stop, and parking is available, so you can easily stop by after sightseeing.

Nagaragawa Onsen Juhachiro

Nagaragawa Onsen Juhachiro, a long-established ryokan situated along the Nagara River in Gifu City, offers authentic hot springs for day visitors. The spring water is a simple iron cold spring, characterized by its reddish-brown color that develops upon contact with air, due to its rich iron content. It is renowned for thoroughly warming the body from within. The ryokan features two large public baths with distinct atmospheres: one has a quaint bathroom repurposed from a Meiji-era earthen storehouse, while the other offers a luxurious experience with an open-air bath boasting views of the Nagara River. The variety of baths, including a medicinal herb bath supervised by Gifu Pharmaceutical University and silky baths with fine bubbles, is also a delightful feature.

Day-use bathing costs 1,500 yen and includes a small towel. This is definitely a place to check out if you're looking for a special experience beyond your usual public bath. It's about a 1-minute walk from the Nagarabashi bus stop, and parking is available (approx. 150 spaces), making it convenient for family outings. As it has irregular closing days, it's recommended to call ahead to confirm before visiting.

Enjoy sento in Gifu City!

Gifu City offers a variety of super sento and public baths, each with its own unique charm, making it enjoyable to choose according to your mood. The ability to use different types of baths—a well-equipped facility for a lively day or a traditional sento for a quiet soak—is a major appeal. Besides finding one favorite, we recommend exploring several to discover the bathing experience that suits you best. You might find a place that adds a little joy to your regular days off or after-work routine. The refreshing feeling after a bath and the comfortable relaxation that washes over your body are sensations you'll want to experience again and again. Having an accessible go-to spot can also help you refresh your mood daily. For your next outing or when you need a moment to unwind, enjoy a bath in Gifu City that soothes both mind and body.