Neighbouring municipalities

  • Gifu Prefecture
  • Gujō
  • Hichisō
  • Nakatsugawa
  • Shirakawa
  • Seki
  • Takayama
  • Nagano Prefecture
  • Kiso
  • Ōtaki

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Gero has declined over the past 50 years.

History

The area around Gero was part of traditional Hida Province. During the Edo period, it was part of the tenryō controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Mashita District, Gifu. The village of Gero was created on July 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1925. Gero merged with the towns of Hagiwara, Kanayama and Osaka, and the village of Maze (all from Mashita District) on March 1, 2004, to form the city of Gero.

Government

Gero has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 14 members.

Economy

Gero's major industry is tourism. It is known throughout Japan for its onsen, which are mentioned even in the Nara period Shoku Nihongi. Gero has many hotels that can be visited by guests that are looking for accommodations near the hot springs. Large tubs are located in some hotels allowing couples to bathe together. Some hotels lend yukatas to the couples. It's not unusual to see people wearing yukatas on the streets and even in stores. Besides those in hotels, there are many inexpensive and convenient onsens located near railway stations, residential areas, and commercial centers up and down the valley. Forestry and agriculture also play significant roles in the local economy.

Education

Gero has 13 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools.

Transportation

Railway

thumb|right|Gero Station

25px JR Tōkai - Takayama Main Line

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Highway

Sister cities

International

  • Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
  • Pensacola, Florida, United States
  • Salesópolis, São Paulo, Brazil

Domestic

  • Hodatsushimizu, Hakui District, Ishikawa Prefecture
  • Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture

The Kanayama area of Gero served as the primary inspiration for the fictional town of Ebisugaoka in the horror video game Silent Hill f (2025). Writer Ryukishi07 chose Kanayama for its distinctive architecture and labyrinthine alleyways, and the development team visited the area to photograph buildings and record ambient sounds of daily life for use as reference materials.