Hello everyone! This is Sushi Hatake.

The other day, I visited Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. Known as one of Japan's three most famous hot springs, this place completely shook my identity as a sushi chef.

First, Let's Talk About the Name "Gero"

When you hear "Gero Onsen," what comes to mind? The famous hot springs? Hida beef? Nope—what this town is pushing with all its might is frogs.

Why? Because "Gero" sounds like "gero gero," the Japanese onomatopoeia for a frog's croak.

Wait, hold on. This is one of Japan's top three hot springs, right? Couldn't they have gone for something a bit more... sophisticated? But no—walk down the street and there are frogs everywhere. Turn a corner, more frogs. Visit a shrine, and all seven Lucky Gods have been turned into frogs. I have to admit, I respect this level of commitment.

The Madness of a Buttermilk Foot Bath

While strolling through the hot spring town, I discovered a place called "GERO GERO BUTTER STAND." Yellow walls with a cute frog logo. Adorable. So I peeked inside to see what they had...

A buttermilk foot bath.

Excuse me, what?

Okay, I get foot baths. It's a hot spring town, after all. But buttermilk? You're telling me I should soak my feet in buttermilk? The sign says it makes your skin silky smooth, but... really?

And sitting in the milky water was a cow figurine, just chilling there. So surreal. What even is this place? I came here for hot springs, and suddenly I find myself soaking my feet in dairy products alongside a plastic cow. Gero, you're really going for it...

Of course, I also had coffee milk after my bath—the classic post-onsen drink. Sipping from a retro glass bottle with the "Yu" (bath) curtain in the background is pure bliss. After the buttermilk foot bath experience, I felt a deeper appreciation for cows.

And Now, the Meat Sushi in Question

Alright, let's get to the main event.

While exploring the hot spring town, something appeared before my eyes: meat sushi served on a rice cracker.

"...Huh?"

A palm-sized rice cracker. On top of it, two pieces of beautifully pink Hida beef. And one piece of seared Hida beef with a sprinkle of green onion.

All three pieces were meat.

No fish in sight.

I'm someone who makes fish sushi every day in Tokyo. Tuna, flounder, kohada, sea urchin... I face fish daily, I commune with fish, I've dedicated my life to fish (okay, slight exaggeration). And here, right in front of me, was sushi with absolutely zero fish.

Is this... even sushi? Well, there's shari (sushi rice). Definitely shari. Vinegared rice with toppings. Structurally, it's sushi. But the topping is meat. All meat.

"Well, might as well try it..."

One bite.

...............Delicious.

No, wait. I don't want to admit it. I'm a fish sushi chef. I can't lose to meat sushi...

It's delicious.

The Hida beef fat just melts in your mouth, you know? Combined with the tanginess of the shari, this indescribable happiness spreads across your palate. The seared one too—the savory char and green onion create the perfect accent... Damn, this is good.

And then, after finishing, I realized something.

There's no plate.

Well, technically there was a plate. In the form of a rice cracker. But I ate it. Along with the sushi. Which means zero waste.

Isn't this... genius?

When you're eating while walking around tourist spots, you inevitably generate trash. Plastic plates, disposable chopsticks, wrappers... But with a rice cracker plate? You can eat everything. Environmentally friendly. The ultimate in sustainability. I'm not sure if that's actually related, but anyway, what an incredible idea.

Well played, Gero...

Ryu no Hitomi: The Legendary Rice

Walking through town, I spotted packages of rice called "Ryu no Hitomi" (Dragon's Eye). The dragon illustration looked pretty cool.

I looked it up, and apparently this is a mutant rice variety discovered in 2000 by a man named Takashi Imai in a Koshihikari rice paddy in Gero City. The grains are 1.5 times larger than regular rice, and genetic testing couldn't even identify its parent varieties—a mysterious rice indeed. Locals call it "a gift from the Dragon God."

A gift from the Dragon God... Ah, so that's why this land has given birth to innovative things like meat sushi and buttermilk foot baths. It was all thanks to the Dragon God. (Probably not.)

The Seven Lucky Gods, But Make Them Frogs

Throughout the hot spring town, there are statues modeled after the Seven Lucky Gods, but in true Gero fashion, they've all been turned into frogs.

When I visited the Ebisu statue, there was a giant green frog holding a sea bream. Surrounding it were colorful frog-shaped ema (prayer plaques) hanging everywhere. A sign reading "God of Prosperous Business."

As a sushi chef, I prayed for business success too. To a frog Ebisu. Writing it out like this, it sounds pretty surreal.

The Hot Spring Town Shrouded in Mist

Under cloudy skies, mist draped over the mountains while willow trees cast their reflections on the river. Walking along the riverside path, old buildings and lanterns line the way, with a large stone lantern inscribed with "Gero Onsen" standing quietly.

At dusk, when warm light fills the lanterns, the entire hot spring town takes on a magical atmosphere. Against the backdrop of mountains, the town emerging through the mist looks as if time has stopped.

Walking on the rain-soaked cobblestones, I thought to myself:

"Today, I lost to meat sushi."

But that's okay. Accepting defeat is important too. Sushi isn't just about fish. Every region has its own food culture. Gero has Hida beef, Ryu no Hitomi rice, and frogs. Respecting and enjoying these differences is what makes travel worthwhile, right?

...But starting tomorrow, I'll be back to making fish sushi. That's my job, after all.

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Conclusion: Gero Onsen—a town of frogs, meat sushi, edible rice cracker plates, and buttermilk foot baths. I completely underestimated it. My apologies, Gero.

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