Ikaho Onsen
Ikaho Onsen, A Hillside Spa Town In Gunma Built Up A Long Stone Staircase Of 365 Steps Lined With Inns, Shops And Bathhouses, With A Brown Iron Rich Spring And A Clear One, And A Long History In Japanese Poems And Novels. · Shibukawa, Gunma
Ikaho is a hot spring town in Gunma that climbs a hillside on a long stone staircase, usually counted as 365 steps - confirm the number. Inns, bathhouses, shooting galleries, tea shops and steamed bun sellers line both sides, and the whole street feels like an old postcard. Two spring waters are on offer: a reddish-brown iron-rich water that stains the towels, and a clear water piped in from a newer source. A public bath at the top of the stairs lets day visitors try the brown water without a night's stay. The town has been written into poems and novels for centuries, and it still draws couples, older Japanese tourists and weekend visitors from the Tokyo area. It suits anyone who wants a classic spa town without the scale of Hakone or Kusatsu. Allow half a day for the stairs, a bath and a snack, or stay one night in an inn with dinner. It is worth the detour in autumn and winter, and less so on a wet summer day when the stairs are slippery and the views are shut in by cloud.
Ikaho-machi, Shibukawa, Gunma, a bus ride up from Shibukawa Station on the JR Joetsu Line, Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan
The stone street and its shops are open to walk at any hour, but most shops and snack stalls shut by about 17:00 to 18:00, and some close one weekday - confirm. Public and day-use baths are commonly open from late morning to evening with a last entry about an hour before closing, and may close for cleaning on a set day. From Tokyo, take a JR train to Shibukawa, then a local bus up to Ikaho; the ride is commonly 20 to 30 minutes and the last buses leave early in the evening, so check the timetable before you plan a day trip. IC cards work on the train and often on the bus, but carry cash for baths, snack stalls and small shops.