The Hirugano Highlands in Gujo City, Gifu, are one of the 33 designated autumn-colour sites of Hida and Mino. The colour usually peaks between late October and early November. At 900 metres the plateau turns before the lowlands, the air clears, and the best barbecue weather of the year arrives. All ten villas at HIRUGANO LAPLAND have a grill terrace.…
The Hirugano Highlands in Gujo City, Gifu, are one of the 33 designated autumn-colour sites of Hida and Mino. The colour usually peaks between late October and early November. At 900 metres the plateau turns before the lowlands, the air clears, and the best barbecue weather of the year arrives. All ten villas at HIRUGANO LAPLAND have a grill terrace.
Autumn here usually peaks from late October into the first days of November, two to three weeks ahead of Nagoya or Gifu city, because of the altitude. There is reliably a window when the lowlands are still green and the plateau has already turned.
The season arrives in stages: the kochia turns red in late September, the surrounding mountains follow in mid-October, and the whole plateau is at its best in early November — roughly six weeks of autumn, somewhere in its progress.
Aim only at the peak and one wet weekend undoes the trip. Two nights or more gives the weather a second chance. The Seasons page shows the year here.
Summer barbecue is a negotiation with the heat. Autumn is not: the air is clear, the insects have gone, and standing near a fire is exactly the right temperature. The early dusk works in your favour — light the coals while it is bright, eat slowly after dark.
Each villa is two storeys and 82㎡ and sleeps up to six. With a kitchen and a terrace of your own, you buy what you like and cook at your own pace — no shared barbecue area, no time slots. See Services & rentals for ingredients and equipment.
By late October the days may be mild while dawn and dusk are markedly colder than in the lowlands. Bring one more layer than you think. Every villa has underfloor heating and a gas heater (there is no fireplace).
Late October and early November weekends are busy across the whole area. It is worth holding your dates as soon as you know them. The availability calendar updates from real bookings, so what you see is what is free. Rates and availability by villa are on the Ten villas page.
Reservations are handled through Booking.com, where you can see live availability for all ten villas. For anything else, write to us — we answer in English, Japanese and Russian.