***This post is a bit of a break from the usual sort of thing on this blog. Β I was invited by the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) to become a tourism supporter, and was lucky to be able to attend a 2 day bus tour in Gunma prefecture, along with 13 other foreigners also living in Japan.***
We left Tokyo Station at 8:30am, and drove north for 3 hours into Gunma prefecture.
The first stop on our tour was the Hara Museum ARC, which is an annex of the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. Modern art museums are not my usual tourist spot of choice, but I was impressed with the Andy Warhol pieces as well as Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin installation. Unfortunately. I wasn’t able to take photos of the interior installations, but the outside of the museum also had some interesting artwork on display.
Next was a stop at Ikaho Green Bokujo, which is a type of farm experience. There are ponies to be ridden, sheep to be walked and bunnies to be petted.
Then it was time for lunch! Mixed pork, beef and lamb barbecue with cabbage and bean sprouts, followed by the farm’s own vanilla ice cream π
After lunch, it was time to explore the park area and see the sheep dog show. I love the Halloween decorations, it reminds me of pumpkin patches and fall festivals from back home.
After getting our fill of the Green Bokujo, it was time for a stop at the Takehisa Yumeji Museum. Takehisa Yumeji was a famous artist and poet who is famous for his unconventional painting of women and inventive prints and illustrations. There was also an annex with some lovely glass work, and the entire museum area was well designed and showcased Takehisa Yumeji’s many works.
After the museum, we were off to Ikaho Onsen Machi, starting of with a walk down the mountain side toward the central part of the hot spring town.
The red bridge is said to be the inspiration for the bridge featured in Hayao Miyazaki’s movie Spirited Away, and being in Ikaho, you can get a feel for the ambiance found in the movie. Along the easy walk down toward the town, there are quaint shops selling gifts and snacks if you get hungry on the way down.
There are 365 stone steps that pass through central Ikaho called ishidangai, starting at Ikaho shrine. The steps weave their way down in a slight zigzag pattern, and have interesting carvings and quirky shops lining them that recall a past era. You can play old-fashioned parlor games or try some konnyaku, devil’s tongue jelly, simmered in soy sauce, which is famous in Gunma.
After watching the surprise bubbles that appear along the stone steps at 5pm, we headed to the Tsukagoshiya Ryokan for a meeting and then dinner!
Everything was really fresh and surprisingly light. My favorite part was the salmon sashimi, which was sandwiched between lemon slices. I think I’m going to have to try adding citrus to my fish from now on!
In order to walk off some dinner so I didn’t sink in the onsen later, we went on a night tour of Ikaho led by the okami, the traditional female manager of the ryokan.
The hotel on the left also inspired the architecture of the ryokan shown in Spirited Away! After the tour and braving the many hills of Ikaho, we tried out the famous onsen before heading to bed. (No pictures though, sorry ;P)
The next morning, we were sent off to a hike to Haruna Shrine after a traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
It had just rained a couple of days before, so the 3km hike was a bit wet and muddy, and some parts of it were a little scary, but the natural scenery was gorgeous.
It was worth it to reach the shrine, and I survived without falling π
One of the shops that line the path through the shrine area sold a variety of plums and plum flavored things, as well as miso flavored konnyaku and cucumbers. While I didn’t end up getting any pickled plums, I did go home with a bag of candied flower beans, hana mame θ±θ± a specialty of Gunma. The flower beans are really good, sweet and mild flavored, they go really well with some hot tea!
Leaving the shrine, we stopped at Haruna lake to have lunch. Mizusawa udon is considered on of the best in Japan, so I was happy to be able to try it. Mizusawa style is similar to regular udon, in that it is slightly fluffy textured but it still has a firm bite. The broth was light and went well with the noodles. The deep-fried pond smelt γγγγ sprinkled with lemon juice was also good, though I have never really gotten used to eating a whole fish, head and all.
There is nothing like working off lunch than by an impromptu paddle around the lake in a swan boat though! The lake is gorgeous, and looks like it would be a fun place to visit again when it is a bit warmer.
Our last stop before the end of our tour was the Tomioka Silk Mill, which has been listed on the tentative list of Japanese sites up for UNESCO World Heritage consideration. The silk mill was constructed in 1875, and introduced French technologies for silk production to Japan.
After a long bus ride back to Tokyo station, it was time to say goodbye.γ:(Β It was sad to go home, but it was an awesome trip! If you love onsen towns and seeing traditional Japan, start planning a trip to Ikaho β€
Thank you to my fellow tourism supporters and the amazing Japanese JTB staff π γΎγδΌγγΎγγγο½
Leave a comment