Ryokan in Ikaho
伊香保A hillside hot-spring town on the slopes of Mount Haruna, climbed by a stone stairway of 365 steps lined with ryokan and shops. About two hours from Tokyo: by train to Shibukawa, then 20 minutes by bus. The writer Tokutomi Roka wrote his novel Hototogisu while staying here.
Ikaho through the year
Spring春
March to May
Cherry trees are in bloom from mid to late April at Mizusawa Kannon and at Ikaho Green Bokujo, a farm park with about 1,500 trees of 19 kinds.
Summer夏
June to August
Fireflies come out in early summer near Lake Haruna and the Hakojima spring.
Autumn秋
September to November
From late October to mid-November the maples around the vermilion Kajika Bridge, south of the steps, are lit up at night.
Winter冬
December to February
Snow can fall from December to March, most of it in January and February, when the stone steps turn white.
The ryokan
Listed stays
24 approved listings · 24 total in Ikaho
Photo credits
NMaia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Qurren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; puffyjet, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons