Fukuichi Inn at Ikahoonsen, the Keeper of the Gold Bath for 430 Years!

Fukuichi Inn at Ikahoonsen, the Keeper of the Gold Bath for 430 Years!
Miki
Miki 
Published
| 7 min read

Ikahoonsen in Gunma Prefecture is a top destination onsen area retaining a rustic townscape and is where the historic hot spring the “Gold Bath” is located.

Right inside of Ishidanmachi is the long established inn Fukuichi of Ikahoonsen, and one of the few inns that use that Gold Bath spring water. At the inn you can compare the Gold Bath which has been used here since the inn was established 430 years ago with the Hakugin no Yu hot spring source which was found in 1989.

This time we take a look at Fukuichi and their fantastic food and their awesome hospitality.

Relax in the spacious lobby with a tea room attached

fukuichi inn at ikahoonsen, the keeper of the gold bath for 430 years! | relax in the spacious lobby with a tea room attached

Near step number 300 on the symbol of Ikahoonsen’s Ishidanmachi (stone step town) is the long established inn Fukuichi. Fukuichi was established 430 years ago and is a historic inn run by the 17th and current president. It is where the poet of the Meiji Era Saitou Mokichi stayed and performed readings of his poetry, and where the Japanese style painter Yokoyama Taikan painted a Mt. Fuji that he couldn’t have seen from here. It is an inn that has been loved by many cultural figures that shaped modern Japan.

If you arrive by driving you can pull right up to the entrance at Fukuichi. The staff will park your car for you so you won’t have to lug your baggage around.

Once inside you are welcomed by a spacious lobby with a tea room in the corner. The whole facility is apparently pumped with negative ions and creates a calming atmosphere. You are greeted with a welcome drink of plum juice. The cold plum juice and the comforting atmosphere really take the stress of travel out of you.

Check in is from 3pm. If you arrive early you can check your bags at the front desk and then explore Ishidanmachi. 5 minutes away at the top of the stairs is Ikaho Shrine which people pray at for good health, wealth, and to bear children. With a prayer at Ikaho Shrine and the onsen you get to relax and raise your luck level, how awesome is that?

A tidy room, and a heartwarming service from the staff

fukuichi inn at ikahoonsen, the keeper of the gold bath for 430 years! | a tidy room, and a heartwarming service from the staff

Fukuichi is built on the side of a mountain and is split into the Manyokan and Senjukan buildings. The front desk is in the Manyokan as well as guest rooms, and the bath house and outdoor bath. The Senjukan building has an entrance to the Ishidanmachi and is a very close 10 seconds away from it. So if you are hungry for an onsen manjyu you can just hop out quickly for one anytime you like.

The guest rooms at Fukuichi are Japanese style clean and tidy and have a very calm atmosphere, but if you would prefer a bed there are western style rooms too. The room type that has the most rooms is the 20sqm Standard Japanese style room. If you raise the budget around 5000 JPY you can get a Japanese style room with a garden. (*rooms with a garden are limited so please check availability when making reservations.)

After checking in the staff will take you to your room. The clean room has an ornamental alcove and is decked out in a comforting Japanese design. The room is wonderful but even better is the staff of Fukuichi! The staff instructs you on how to use furnishings, where the onsen bath is, brings you dinner, lays out the futon and puts them away and brings the morning paper to you all in a timely fashion and with perfect customer service. Such service is simply stunning to experience.

Comparing the Ougon no Yu (Gold Bath) and Hakugin no Yu (Silver Bath) hot springs

fukuichi inn at ikahoonsen, the keeper of the gold bath for 430 years! | comparing the ougon no yu (gold bath) and hakugin no yu (silver bath) hot springs

After relaxing in the room for a bit you head to the large bath house on the third floor of the Manyokan building in the yukata provided for you in the room.

The first thing you notice is the massive size of the indoor bath! Both the men and women baths are gargantuan and you can really spread out and relax. These are the two different types of onsen that Fukuichi prides itself on.

• Gold Bath It is said that the warriors from the Takeda Clan would heal their wounds in these waters during the Warring States Period. It is also the hot spring that has been a treasure of this inn for its 430 year history. The hot spring water is yellowish brown and is mostly a sulfate hot spring. This water has a very high moisturizing effect on skin. It is a beautifying spring and is perfect for guests who are troubled by dry skin as well as other ailments. Also the water has a metallic smell which is indicative of its high iron content. This iron is absorbed through the skin and helps with blood formation. From this effect the Ougon no Yu (Gold Bath) has been known to cure anemia that plagues women as well as it gaining the moniker Kodakara no Yu (childbearing bath).

• Silver Bath This is the newly found hot spring source. The water is clear with no color to it, and is full of metasilicic acid. Metasilicic acid is a natural moisturizer and is known to clear up skin. This is another bath that women will enjoy in particular.

This simple hot spring bath isn’t too hard on skin. It is hard to get sick from bathing in these waters.

We urge you to try out both waters and compare them!

At the large bath house, negative ion water is also pumped out which you can drink. It is important to stay hydrated when bathing in hot springs! Although most will gulp down the water after a bath, it is better to drink a lot of it before bathing which will promote sweating and blood circulation.

At the entrance of the bath house is an antibacterial box which you put your slippers into to kill the bacteria on them while you bathe. In large hot springs that are popular it is all too easy to get confused as where your slippers went so it is comforting to have sanitized slippers when you head back.

• Bath time 3pm to 1am, 5am to 10am

The outdoor bath with a view and comforts of the greenery of the mountain

fukuichi inn at ikahoonsen, the keeper of the gold bath for 430 years! | the outdoor bath with a view and comforts of the greenery of the mountain

The outdoor bath is further past the large bath house and is covered by a roof for comfortable bathing even when raining.

The men’s outdoor bath (Fukunoyu) and women’s (Ichinoyu) both draw from the Ougon no Yu.

From the women’s bath you have a view of the mountains right in front of you. On the men’s side you have a bit of an opening and can see a bit farther away. The spacious indoor bath is great but the feeling of freedom at an outdoor bath that has such views is supreme.

*Information on Fukuichi’s private outdoor bath The private baths come in 3 types (Yurari, Sarari, and Fuwari). The large Yurari bath that can hold 28 people and the Sarari which is perfect for a family uses Mt. Harunasan tap water. Fuwari is the smallest of the three but uses the Gold Bath hot spring water. If it isn’t crowded you can use them even with a book them that same day, so if you want to try out a private bath as with your family or significant other, ask the staff on the availability. *the private baths are usable for an additional fee.

The dinner at Fukuichi is a luxurious seasonal kaiseki cuisine

the dinner at fukuichi is a luxurious seasonal kaiseki cuisine

One of the things to look forward to about an inn is the delicious food!

The dinner at Fukuichi utilizes seasonal ingredients to the fullest to create a kaiseki meal that is also tasty to look at.

The dinner this time was a winter meal. It started out with an aperitif of plum wine, and an appetizer of “Fuku Shirako Tofu” (Blowfish Milt Tofu), partially dried persimmon, and red salmon sushi, a bowl of stew, sashimi, a warming dish, and more.

The grilled dish was Japanese butterfish in a black bamboo dish. After adding water to the bamboo a bit later it starts to heat up and steam starts rising up. The aromas that waft up with the steam really stimulate your appetite. The soup dish was a boar stew. The longer you stew the meat the softer it gets, and is a dish that you can only get in the winter. The kaiseki course dinner made by the veteran head chef and the team of 10 chefs working under his guidance really create a memorable dinner here at Fukuichi!

Although the menu of the kaiseki dinner changes every month one item is always on the menu that is a local cuisine of Gunma Prefecture called “Okirikomi”. This is a dish of wide udon noodles which is stewed with vegetables. It a voluminous dish filled with vegetables, and the texture of the noodles is spectacular. In the winter is served hot but in the summer it served cold.

For those staying in the Senjukan building dinner is served in the room. For guests staying at Manyokan you will dine in the private dining rooms at Shunraku. Either way the wait staff brings you the next dish with precision timing, and is highly pleasurable. The dinner here at Fukuichi is definitely a way to pamper yourself in the best way possible.

How to enjoy the area around Ikahoonsen’s Fukuichi

There are a lot of places to visit around Fukuichi aside from the Ishidanmachi area. There is the famous Haruna Shrine as well as Mizusawakannon nearby for those that want a bit more fortune in their lives. (*Haruna Shrine is visited by many students taking their entrance exams because of a boulder that hasn’t fallen over for over 1000 years.)

Other than these power spots, Ikaho is surrounded by nature, which you can enjoy year round. For example towards the end of September you can drive 5 minutes away to a field of flowers that bloom into a sea of white, or view the changing leaves near the Kajika Bridge close to the inn.

Because Fukuichi is built on a high point on the stone stairs you have a great scenic view and you can head out to Ishidanmachi very easily. It is also fantastic that you can bathe in both the historic Ougon no Yu and the Hakugin no Yu popular with women. But the most impressive and alluring is the customer service of the staff! The attention to detail is very impressive and comforting at the same time and is guaranteed to relax your daily fatigue and stresses.

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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