One of my favorite places in all of Japan is Gero Onsen in Gifu prefecture, in the heart of the Japanese Alps. I first came to know Gero Onsen through a friend, Leif Hagen, who was an English teacher there. Leif introduced me to Hiroko Sensei who is pictured here. On our honeymoon Shinji and I spent an evening in Gero Onsen and Hiroko took us to this amazing restaurant on top of the mountain in Gero Onsen.

Shimura is a jewel in the area. The chef farms many of the ingredients, and catches local fish in the local rivers. Gifu is known for Hida wagyu, the marbled beef pictured above. But perhaps what was the most memorable dish of the evening was the rice that is grown in the garden in front of the restaurant.

We had a private dining room and Shimura is managed by the chef and his wife. I look forward to going back on our next trip to Gero Onsen.

If you click through Shimura’s website you will see the chef farming and fishing for the food served here.

http://www.geroyama.com/index.php

Shimura

Gifu-ken, Gero Onsen

Phone: 0576-25-3256