When I told my friend I was going to Ikaho for the weekend, he smirked and told me the story of this small onsen town nestled in the hills. He said it was a place that men went to on weekends with the intention of getting some action. It was the perfect alibi for a married man. "Honey, I am going to the onsen with my coworkers for the weekend". Back in the days, Ikaho had escort services and strip clubs to go along with its ryokan hotels ( hotels that offer onsen bathing and buffets). Nowadays, these "spots" seem to be relics.
Ikaho is a small onsen town located in Kitagunma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Ikaho is also the base location for Street Racing Manga series, Initial D. At first glance it would seem like there isn't much to do in this small town, but that is not what the town is about. People come here to relax in their hotels, take a bath in the hot springs, eat and drink like there is no starvation and if they are the trekking type ( or casual walker), they will venture to the various spots such as this iconic part of Ikaho.
There really isn't much to do in this part of town. There are a few restaurants, cafes, sweet shops and a lot of spaces offering gun shooting games for some strange reason. There most be some history to that. But what is interesting about central Ikaho is the look and feel of it and what it represents.
To me it represents a slower pace of life enriched with the true essence of the culture of Japan. Onsens and public bathing have been a huge part of Japanese culture for centuries and beneath these stairs runs the natural volcanic waters which flows to the Onsen hotels, keeping that culture alive. The glass door below shows the volcanic water flowing through, enriched with minerals from the earth, giving it a reddish-brown color.
There was an outdoor onsen for placing your feet, here you can see that enriched color I was talking about. Unfortunately, it was off limits due to CV.
Here is what one of these Ryokan hotels look like. I didn't stay here, mine was much lager and less exclusive.
I am not sure what is up with the ducks but they were also a major theme in the gun shooting game stores. Well, they caught my ttention. My guess is after shooting one down in a store, you place it here for good luck.
On the wall, I saw this picture of old days. Many company trips have been hosted in this town and the tradition continues today. Companies with males being the majority would hire hostesses to liven up there end of year parties. I think that is what this picture represents. But this may not be any ordinary company seeing that the picture holds a permanent spot on the walls of this historic town.
I leave you with a view of the terrain that this small town is built on, up on the rugged hills of Gunma prefecture, Japan. Thanks for stopping by.