Juhachiro

It's a bit far from Gifu Station, so you'll need to take a bus or taxi. The hotel offers bicycle rentals, which is very convenient for getting around the area. While check-in is officially at 3 PM, I was able to check in around 2:30 PM. The lobby also offers complimentary drinks, including red and white wine, in the afternoon, and they were quite good. The hotel can arrange cormorant fishing tours, which you can enjoy after dinner. To be honest, the hot spring ♨️ was just so-so. I found it wasn't hot enough and lacked that true onsen feel. P.S. The hotel does have a Chinese staff member, but she only works during dinner service and is a part-timer, so you might not always encounter her.

I chose this historic hotel, Juhachiro, mainly because of its location right by the Nagara River. I'd read some online reviews saying it was old but a well-established classic. The price, especially during the off-season, was incredibly cheap – only a few hundred RMB, and it even included breakfast. Honestly, for that price, what more could you ask for? A definite stay! Just note that this special rate only allows check-in after 7 PM, so don't arrive early. The hotel itself is actually quite good, not as old as I expected, and offers excellent value for money. You can enjoy a hot spring bath in the evening, breakfast in the morning, and there's a shuttle bus to Gifu Station. All the staff I encountered were Japanese, generally polite and there was nothing to complain about. The street where the hotel is located is an old town area. I assume much of it has been renovated, and overall, it felt quite touristy, almost like one of those 'ancient' towns in Southern China that have been recreated. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, and some of the shops and restaurants are very charming. You can see the famous cormorant fishing (Ukai) by the Nagara River. I wasn't particularly interested, possibly because it was so hot, so I didn't take the boat (which actually departs in the evening). I just took a quick look from the outside.

The hotel upgraded my room, and I got to see the Nagara River, which was absolutely wonderful. There was a lovely old lady who spoke Chinese and helped us with charming guidance and service. On the first floor, they offer free coffee and tea, and before 5 PM, there's even complimentary white wine. The hotel also provides a twice-daily, half-hour Japanese guided tour of the old town, which is quite interesting. We pre-booked the cormorant fishing (Ukai) event organized by the hotel, and it was very traditional and distinctive. We walked from a special Ukai pathway down to the river and boarded the two exclusive hotel boats. We were incredibly lucky that evening; there weren't many boats, so the performance boat could come right up to ours for a close-up view. Before the main performance, there was a song and dance boat show, followed by three fireworks displays announcing the start of the Ukai show.

The food was great, and the service was very attentive. Many thanks to the professional team.