The are a group of onsen located along the banks of the

Nagara River The has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Along with the Kiso River and Ibi River, the Nagara River is one of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. Previously, t ...

in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The source of the onsen are in the northern part of the city near the Mitabora Shinbutsu Onsen (三田洞神仏温泉). The group was included on the 16th edition of Japan's Top 100 Onsen.Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen no Onsen
Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen & Ryokan Cooperative. Accessed June 17, 2008.

History

There are records of onsens in the area from as far back as 1,300 years, but the current source, Mitabora Shinbutsu Onsen, has only been used since 1968. During the 2004 onsen scandal in which establishments made false statements concerning the source of their water, one

Ryokan A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

was found to be charging customers for water they claimed was spring water. After the activities were confirmed, restitution was paid. When the water for the Nagaragawa Onsen started to become brown and cloudy in 1999, new water sources were located within the city limits. In addition to using the newfound spring waters for their facilities, they also purchased land to build an onsen stand, at which they would sell the spring water at retail prices. After complaints that emptying the underground spring would ruin the land and building foundations of the surrounding residents, the project was cancelled.

Surrounding area

The Nagaragawa Onsen are located on the northern side of Mount Kinka, near Gifu's urban center, so visitors can enjoy both city activities and the relaxing onsen. There are a total of seven hotels and

ryokan A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

which draw water from the same source for their onsen: #Gifu Grand Hotel (岐阜グランドホテル) #Ushō no Ie Sugiyama (鵜匠の家　杉山) #Ishikin (石金) #Gifu Miyako Hotel (岐阜都ホテル) #Hotel Park (ホテルパーク) #Kinka (きんか) #Jūhachirō (十八楼) During the

cormorant fishing Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China, as well as Greece, North Macedonia, and briefly, England an ...

season from May 11 to October 15, guests can see parts of the fishing tradition from the hotels and ryokan. Though it takes place at night, each cormorant fishing boat has a bonfire (篝火 ''kagaribi'') to light the river surface. History of Ukai
. Gifu City Hall. Accessed May 18, 2007.

Spring quality

The spring water has high iron content and concentration of carbonic acid. *Temperature at source: * pH: 6.7 *Flow: per minute

External links

Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen

References

{{coord, 35, 26, 30.4, N, 136, 47, 0.9, E, region:JP_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Gifu Tourist attractions in Gifu Prefecture Hot springs of Gifu Prefecture Landforms of Gifu Prefecture