Kaichoro (奥伊香保 旅邸 諧暢楼) - Ikaho Onsen, Gunma Prefecture
Ikaho Onsen's "Ishidan Machi" (Stone Stairs)
The third leg of our journey led us to Ikaho Onsen, an Onsen town located on the Eastern slope of Mt. Haruna, and known for its stone stairs. It's one of the four most famous Onsen resorts in Gunma Prefecture and is renowned for its reddish color Onsen that is laden with iron ("Kogane no Yu.") Cutting through the center of the old town is Ishidan Machi (stone steps) that with 365 stairs in total. It's lined with shops on each side and is atmospheric in a faded glory sort of way - it has the feel of Japan's Showa era (from 1926 to 1989.) At the very top of the steps lies Ikaho Jinja Shrine, and looking back you can see the stone steps with the gorgeous valley and mountains in the distance. While it's not a bucket list type of destination, it's definitely worth doing if you're in the area.
Kaichoro's private rental bath "Fuwari," a "Kogane Onsen" (Golden Onsen)
Established in 2008, Kaichoro is an adults-only (minimum age is 18 to stay here) onsen ryokan located in Ikaho Onsen, Gunma, and is an annex of its sister inn, Fukuichi, which has been around for over 14 generations (at least 440 years.) The ambiance is completely different between the two. Fukuichi is a typical, big box hot springs ryokan with 83 rooms and is much more family-oriented, whereas Kaichoro only has 8 rooms and offers onsen in every room. Kaichoro guests can avail themselves to the facilities within Fukuichi, but the opposite does not apply. Fukuichi consists of two buildings, and the first two floors of the Manyo Building is where Kaichoro resides. The driveway and parking area are shared; however, Kaichoro has its own, separate entrance and lobby area as well as dedicated staff that tend to guests' needs. While it does feel that you're in a hotel in a hotel at first glance, once inside it won't feel that way.
Kaichoro - Japanese & Western-style Suite with Open-Air Bath, 100m²
We stayed in one of the two "special" rooms - ours was the Japanese & Western-style Suite with Open-Air Bath, which offers 100m² of total space. There is also a Japanese Suite which is identical in size, but we try to avoid open-plan rooms (prefer segregated living room/bedroom), and judging by the photos it appeared to us that the Japanese Suite was more form over function. Your mileage and preferences may vary. The Suite was modern, sufficiently spacious and tastefully appointed, and had a bedroom, a Japanese tatami room, a Western-style living room and two toilets (a big bonus for us.) Outside is a large patio with a garden, an open-air hot springs bath, as well as a view of the hillside across the valley - it's in a private and serene setting. You'll never believe that you're in a nondescript building that is shared with a relatively large ryokan. That such a luxurious ryokan cheapens out on the amenities, therefore, is puzzling to us. Most of the bathroom toiletries are single-use, tear-to-open packages for things like moisturizers, toothpaste and shaving foam. Most luxury ryokans have individual, travel-sized amenities from name brands, but not here.
Kaichoro - Japanese & Western-style Suite with Open-Air Bath, 100m²
The primary reason most travelers come all the way to Ikaho Onsen is to enjoy the Onsen, and here, Kaichoro mostly delivers - but, to get the most out of your stay, you'll need to know what options are at your disposal. For starters, Kaichoro (and Fukuichi) source two different Onsen varieties - "Shirogane No Yu" (Silver Onsen) and "Kogane No Yu" (Golden Onsen, which is more reddish brown that gold in color.) The in-room Onsen in different rooms at Kaichoro source from one or the other, and it depends on the room that you stay in. Our Suite was of the Silver variety. The communal, gender-segregated Onsen baths in Fukuichi offer both types; however, the three private rental onsens (also shared with Fukuichi) - Yurari, Sarari and Fuwari differ - in fact, the first two are not Onsen at all - they are Negative Ion tap water baths sourced from nearby Mt. Haruna (Sarari is continuously flowing from the source), while Fuwari is a Golden Onsen that comes straight from the source. Armed with this knowledge by asking various staff members at Kaichoro, we were able to try both onsen varieties between our room onsen and the "Fuwari" rental bath.
Kaichoro - Japanese & Western-style Suite with Open-Air Bath, 100m²
An interesting fact about Kogane no Yu (aka "golden onsen"): it's originally clear like most other hot springs, but the iron inside causes it to become a rich brown (hence the name “gold”) when it comes into contact with oxygen. Hot springs in general are known for the benefits that they can have on your health; in addition to all the typical effects that are common to other hot springs, Kogane no Yu is said to have healing effects on even medicated ailments, burns, and cuts. Shirogane no Yu (白金の湯) is a relatively newer hot spring that has been drawing in visitors to Ikaho throughout recent years. It is popular among women for having natural moisturizing components that help to smooth out and refresh the skin.
Kaichoro - In-room open-air Onsen with a view
Food wise, Kaichoro was a mixed bag. We generally never have a bad kaiseki meal at a luxury ryokan, and while Kaichoro was no exception, neither were we blown away by the dining experience. Several of the servings were wonderful - the Fugu (puffer fish) in a jellied dashi broth was memorable, as was the Shirako (Cod Milt) Tempura. However, some of the other courses were unimaginative and - quite frankly - not appropriate for a tier-1 ryokan. The Buri Daikon (grilled Japanese Amberjack with Daikon Radish) is a very typical dish that can be found in a neighborhood izakaya (pub food), and the one at Kaichoro didn't exactly stand out, either. The Japanese breakfast was an improvement, but not enough to overcome our belief that we've had better meals at ryokans priced less than Kaichoro.
Kaichoro kaiseki dinner's sashimi course - Longtooth Grouper, Japanese Red Sea Bream and Hokkaido Octopus
We wondered whether service quality would be watered down and corporate, what with Kaichoro being part of a much larger ryokan. Our fears, however, were unfounded - everyone was gracious, warm, knowledgeable and professional. We usually do our own research and ask very little from ryokan staff members, but we have little doubt that they'll do everything they can for us should the need arise.
Location wise, Kaichoro is ideally situated. There is a passageway that connects to the second Fukuichi building, and from there (on the 19th floor) there is an exit that takes you straight to the Ikaho Onsen town's stone steps (step 300 of 365.) Very convenient.
Kaichoro kaiseki dinner - Condensed Milk Stew with White Japanese Babylon Shell and seasonal vegetables
Ikaho Onsen is definitely a destination that primarily caters to the domestic market - we saw far less foreigners than, say, Hakone or Kinosaki Onsen. Although it wouldn't be the first onsen town that we'd recommend foreign guests to visit, it will definitely will appeal to folks wishing to be a bit off the beaten path. Despite that, it's not exceedingly inconvenient - you can take a limited express train from Ueno Station in Tokyo, then be escorted to the ryokan via a 20-minute shuttle bus ride. It's also a 1 hour drive to Kusatsu Onsen. If you're going to combine it with a visit to Kusatsu Onsen, it gets trickier. Trains between the two towns are infrequent, and you'll need to make a connection. It's easiest to drive between the two locations; it'll take just a little over an hour with a rental car.