hello everyone welcome to WAORYU! ONLY IN JAPAN channel
today we're once again traveling back in time and this time all the way back to TAISHO period
we are visiting a small onsen town called Ikaho in Gunma prefecture
where we will discover the charm of TAISHO
romance so come along
Ikaho Onsen is a hot spring town located on the eastern slopes of Mt. Haruna
it is especially known for its golden colored waters
and is one of the most famous onsen towns in Gunma prefecture
old town area is mainly concentrated around the long stone stairs
Ishidan
that are lined up by ryokans hotels, retro game centers and cafes
Ishidan has exactly 365 steps
as it was the locals wish for ikaho to have the same bustling energy for 365 days a year
At the top of the stone steps is an ikaho shrine
that was built in year 825.
People here pray to god of medicine and hot springs
Ikaho onsen has been popular among japanese over many eras
the first record of the onsen is from the 13th century
but the breadth of taisho era especially is felt from every corner
in taisho era many famous artists and writers visited the onsen for creative activities
Ikaho Onsen still remains as one of the favorite onsens to visit for various reasons
place that might immediately stand out and take you back to taisho era
is a ryokan called Yokote Kan
the building has four stories and is built entirely from cypress
the rooms are airy and with large windows that allow in a lot of light
each room has a special name after a tree or flower
you can find rooms with names like plum sakura or red leaf
many people say it reminds them of the (Ghibli) "Spirited away" movie
what makes this ryokan special are the private onsens where nobody can disturb you
as a guest of the ryokan you get a key for a small onsen room with
all the amenities you need and all the privacy you want
the water in this onsen has a specific golden color
and locals call it koganenoyu (the golden spring)
this water is soft and less irritable
it is said to help with blood circulation, muscle pains, pains in your joint,fatigue and even help with your appetite
after my bath the staff of the hotel gave me a box of onsen manju to try
the service here is just the best
delicious
filled with sweet beans
and it has the color of onsen
Brown
as you can see you can feel nostalgia from every corner here
i was wondering why the locals traded their history so much
the answer to that question was given to me by akiko-san
the master of tamaki yada ryokan that has been in her family for over 70 years
How did you like Taisho Roman?
i could tell that the locals here really value their traditions and they want to pass them into the next generation
i personally felt a lot of nostalgia passing through these streets
and i really hope that the generation after this one will still be able to enjoy the charm of this wonderful place
thank you very much for watching
see you in the next episode
bye