Gero Onsen Funsenchi (Footbath)

Funsenchi sits in the riverbed of the Hida River, right in the middle of Gero Onsen's hot-spring district, and has long served as a visual symbol of the town. The spot lets people get close to the actual source water bubbling up from the ground, and it's a popular stop for photos during a stroll through town rather than a place to soak for a long session.

As of December 1, 2021, bathing in the pool itself was prohibited, so this is now a look-and-touch spot rather than a full immersion bath. The site is cleaned daily between 7am and 8am, so expect it to be closed or off-limits during that window.

Funsenchi is listed as a walk-in, day-pass-friendly stop in the affordable price tier, fitting with Gero's broader reputation as a historic therapeutic hot spring — one of the three most celebrated hot springs in Japan alongside Arima and Kusatsu, according to old records from the Edo and Muromachi periods. The water itself is a colorless, alkaline simple spring known locally as the "beauty bath" for its smooth feel on skin.

For an actual soak, visitors typically head to one of the nearby public bathhouses in town, such as the outdoor bath facility or the bathhouse next to Shirasagi no Yu, which charge separate small entrance fees. Funsenchi itself functions more as a free, open-air landmark than a full bathing facility at this point.