During our autumn trip to Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, we explored several interesting places outside the main hot spring town.
After staying at our hotel and walking along Ikaho’s famous Stone Step Street, we visited Housuiji Temple, a nostalgic traditional sweets shop called Kabiya, and the Gunma Maitake Center.
These stops added a completely different side to our Ikaho trip, with mountain views, traditional Japanese atmosphere and local Gunma food.
▶ Find hotels in Ikaho Onsen on Rakuten Travel
Housuiji Temple: Panoramic Views Near Ikaho Onsen
One of the most impressive places we visited near Ikaho was Fo Guang Shan Housuiji Temple.
The temple is connected to Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan and is known for its large-scale architecture and elevated location overlooking the surrounding area.
It has also attracted attention among Japanese visitors as a filming location associated with the movie Kingdom.
The temple sits high above the surrounding landscape, and reaching the main buildings involves climbing a long staircase.
If stairs are difficult for you, take your time and use the handrails where available.
The view from the top was even better than we expected.
From the grounds, you can look out over Shibukawa and the surrounding mountains.
We stopped for a while simply to enjoy the scenery.
Drinks, Temple Visit and Omikuji
There was also a small cafe area during our visit.
We bought tapioca milk tea and enjoyed it while looking out over the scenery.
A sweet drink with a mountain view made a nice break between sightseeing stops.
Visitors can also explore the temple grounds and take part in Buddhist experiences.
Housuiji currently offers activities such as sutra copying and Zen meditation, with some experiences available free of charge.
We also drew an omikuji, a traditional Japanese paper fortune.
The combination of temple culture and panoramic scenery made Housuiji feel quite different from the traditional onsen atmosphere of central Ikaho.
Kabiya: Traditional Sweets in a Nostalgic Setting
Our next stop was Kabiya, a traditional sweets shop with a wonderfully nostalgic atmosphere.
The shop serves simple Japanese foods such as kuzumochi, oden, grilled potato skewers and amazake.
As soon as we stepped inside, it felt almost as if we had gone back in time.
The rustic interior and charcoal fire give the shop much of its character.
Rather than simply coming here for the food, we felt that the atmosphere itself was part of the experience.
We tried kuzumochi and miso konnyaku.
The miso konnyaku had a rich savory miso coating and was simple but very satisfying.
We also liked that individual items could be ordered separately.
The soft, springy kuzumochi with kinako soybean powder and kuromitsu syrup was delicious too.
We had eaten a very large breakfast that morning, but somehow there was still room for dessert! 😆
Kabiya felt less like a modern cafe and more like a place where you come to enjoy a traditional atmosphere along with the food.
One Thing to Know: The Charcoal Smell Can Stay on Clothing
One thing worth knowing before visiting is that the charcoal aroma inside is quite strong.
We noticed that the smell could easily transfer to clothing.
If you are wearing a special outfit that you want to keep fresh, you may prefer to visit in clothes you do not mind picking up a smoky charcoal scent.
▶ Find hotels in Ikaho Onsen on Rakuten Travel
Gunma Maitake Center: Local Mushrooms and Souvenirs
Our final stop was the Gunma Maitake Center.
Maitake mushrooms are a popular local product in this part of Gunma, and the center grows and sells its own mushrooms as well as a range of processed maitake products.
Inside, there were fresh mushrooms and many different maitake products to browse.
During our visit, we sampled maitake tea.
It had a distinct mushroom aroma and a surprisingly rich flavor.
We also tried butter-sauteed maitake.
The mushrooms were thick and meaty, and we liked them enough that Mamarin bought some to take home.
The center is known for its “100-day maitake,” which are grown for around 80 to 100 days before harvesting.
Fresh mushrooms are not the only option.
The shop also sells products such as maitake powder, dried mushrooms, maitake tea and prepared foods, making it an easy place to look for unusual Gunma souvenirs.
We also found more unusual products such as maitake with green chili peppers and maitake combined with wasabi and kelp.
If you enjoy mushrooms or food souvenirs, it is a fun stop to add to an Ikaho road trip.
3 Places Worth Visiting Near Ikaho Onsen
Ikaho Onsen is worth visiting for its hot springs and Stone Step Street alone, but adding a few nearby stops made our trip feel much more varied.
For us, these three places each offered something different:
- Housuiji Temple for impressive architecture and panoramic mountain views
- Kabiya for traditional sweets and a nostalgic Japanese atmosphere
- Gunma Maitake Center for local food and mushroom souvenirs
If you are traveling around Ikaho by car, these are easy places to combine with an onsen stay.
Using Ikaho Onsen as your base makes it easy to combine the Stone Step Street with nearby sightseeing spots such as Housuiji Temple and the Gunma Maitake Center.
More Ikaho and Gunma Travel Guides
For Ikaho’s famous Stone Step Street, ropeway and Mizusawa Udon:
Ikaho Onsen Guide: Stone Steps, Ropeway & Mizusawa Udon
For our stay at one of Ikaho’s historic ryokan:
Hotel Kogure Ikaho Onsen Review
We also continued our trip to Tochigi to see the winter illumination at Ashikaga Flower Park:
