We drove about 2 hours from Minakami (where Bettei Yaeno is located) to stay at Hanaichi, another small ryokan in the middle of nowhere and is best accessed by car. There wasn't much to see and do between the two areas, except for Lockheart Castle, an authentic structure that was constructed in Edinburgh in 1829 before being dismantled and reconstructed in 1993 in the village of Takayama (in Gunma Prefecture, and not to be confused with the famous Takayama in Gifu Prefecture), where it now serves as a theme park and museum. Although I had never heard of Hanaichi, upon doing some research I found that it gets top marks for its service, Onsen and food, so we decided to check it out.


Lockheart Castle

Like Bettei Yaeno, arriving at the ryokan is not particularly wow-inducing... nothing like Gosho Gekkoju, for instance. It's on the side of a road and does not scream "luxury" looking at it from the outside. The reception area is much the same - it looks more like a rural country home with a mishmash of furnishings and decorations that suit the owner's preference rather than a cohesive design approach. It's not bad, mind you, but not exactly elegant. There isn't much in the way of property grounds to speak of, but at least there is a common lounge area and several private rental Onsen baths on site, so there's a bit more reason to venture out of the room than at Bettei Yaeno, although that's still not saying much.


Hanaichi's outside entrance

The 7-room ryokan was founded in 2002 by the current owner and his wife, who both decided to open a ryokan only after drilling over 1000 meters below ground and hitting the Onsen jackpot. As a result, the Onsen is straight from the source, directly below the property, and it is top notch quality with no filtration system necessary due to the constant stream of hot springs that feed into each bath. This is part of the reason that - in spite of each room having its own private Onsen, Hanaichi also has 3 additional private baths that are available 24 hours a day and on a first-come, first served basis for paid guests at the ryokan.


Hanaichi reception area

We booked the "Tsukishi" room, which is a 75mē junior suite-style accommodation that features two beds, a living room, a dining table with two chairs, a snakk sitting area with a "Kotatsu" (a heated coffee table that keeps your feet toasty), a patio and a small area that is meant to be a work area. The Onsen is not open-air, although you can open the windows to let in some fresh air if you so desire. From the patio, you do get a bit of a view of Mt. Asama (Tsumagoi is located on the opposite side of the mountain from Karuizawa) although the ubiquitous power lines and a cookie-cutter white building detracts from the ambiance. One of the benefits of staying in Tsukishi is the option for guests to have meals served in their room for 2000 yen extra, but we didn't feel the atmosphere was particularly appealing, so we decided to dine in one of the semi-private rooms at the main restaurant.


Hanaichi - Special Room Tsukushi, 75mē


Hanaichi - Special Room Tsukushi, 75mē


Hanaichi - Special Room Tsukushi, 75mē


Hanaichi - Cloud-covered view of Mt. Asama from Special Room Tsukushi, 75mē

The executive chef is the son of the owner, and he did a pretty good job with the food offerings. I remember it being pretty good, but not particularly memorable. Mrs. KI-NRT, however seems to recall the meals being excellent, even if she had a hard time remembering specific dishes. Everything was elegantly presented, and Hanaichi's kitchen staff did a competent job of bringing out the best of the local fish, meat and produce. Nothing was super fancy - among the offerings were salt-grilled Iwana (White-spotted Char), White Onion Spring Rolls, Joshu Beef steak (Joshu was the name of the province that currently is known as Gunma) as well as Tuna, Sweet Shrimp and Trout sashimi. Breakfast was quite impressive - there was a wide variety of unique dishes and didn't feel at all wanting before departing the property.


Hanaichi - Zensai (appetizers) at dinner

Everyone from the room attendant to the owners to the young head chef were professional and courteous, and do a great job of making each guest feel at home. We definitely felt comfortable at Hanaichi - it's not the type of place that will make you feel intimidated like you might upon first entering storied and glamorous ryokans like Tawaraya or Asaba.


Impressive breakfast at Hanaichi

While it's not the most accessible property that you'll find, it's not far from the gorgeous Mt. Asama and is a mere 20 minutes from Onioshidashi Volcanic Park, 45 minutes from Karuizawa, and 40 minutes from Kusatsu Onsen, so there is a possibility that Hanaichi might fit the bill as a stop on the way to (or from) one of these places. Hanaichi is not, however, a destination ryokan.