Ryotei Kaichoro

“Relaxing stay at Ikaho Onsen town”

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. Fukuic… more

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 onsen ryokan with 83 rooms and much more family-oriented, whereas Kaichoro only has 8 rooms and offers hot springs baths in every room. Kaichoro guests can avail themselves to the facilities within Fukuichi but not the other way around. 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. 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 that is of the same 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 (Fukuichi.) 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. 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 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. 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. 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, several of the other dishes 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. 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. 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, its comparatively inconvenient location definitely will appeal to folks wishing to be a bit off the beaten path. Among such travelers wishing to have a high-end stay, the de-facto option is Kaichoro. And as far as we're concerned, it's a very solid choice.

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