榛名山 - Harunasan & Ikaho Onsen - 10/22/2022

About: Mount Haruna started to form more than 300,000 years ago and the last known eruption was 550 AD. The volcano has a summit caldera containing the symmetrical cinder cone of Mount Haruna-Fuji, along with a crater lake, Lake Haruna, along the western side. To the west of the lake is Mount Kamonga, the tallest of Mount Haruna's numerous peaks at 1,449 meters (4,754 ft) high.

The lake and the area to its east, as well as the southern and southwestern slopes, lie within the borders of Takasaki city. The border of Shibukawa city (to the east) nearly approaches Lake Haruna. Both Shinto village and Yoshioka town are on the southeast slopes of the mountain. The northern and northwestern slopes lie within Higashi Agatsuma town, which also bounds Lake Haruna. The summit lies on the border of Takasaki and Higashi Agatsuma.

Mount Haruna, along with Mount Akagi and Mount Myōgi, is one of the "Three Mountains of Jōmō." (Jōmō is an old name for Gunma.)

Getting Started: As I was staying in a family house in Takasaki city, it only took about an hour drive from Takasaki up to Haruna. In the interest of time and further exploration, I took the ropeway to the summit and hiked down (which was a short and safe hike back down. For full video and images you can see the Youtube video I will post a bit later

Posting the shorter AllTrails link here. There are several other trail routes around the lake. I only did the trail down this trip however next trip, because Haruna is local for me, I will likely do one of the longer trails.

View from top of Ropeway area facing down into Takasaki.

Haruna Shrine (Jinja)

Ikaho Onsen

I arrived at Ikaho Onsen on a separate trip than the actual day I went to Haruna however am including the images in the same post. The first time I went to Ikaho Onsen Oyado Tamaki was in 2017 and after 5 years finally returned. I actually stayed the evening of 10/10/2022 and the below images are from that evening, my dinner, and breakfast.

Ikaho Onsen (伊香保温泉) is a hot spring town located on the eastern slopes of Mount Haruna. Known for its reddish brown, iron-laden thermal waters, Ikaho Onsen joins Kusatsu, Minakami and Shima Onsen as the four most famous hot spring resorts of Gunma Prefecture. (Source)

Dinner: this was the start of my 11 course Kaiseki meal

A photo in the hallway walking to my room. Most of the room I have all captured through video and will be available on Youtube shortly.

My breakfast :)

The atmospheric old town area of Ikaho centers around the 300 meter long stone stairs which lead up through the middle of town and are lined by ryokan, old fashioned game arcades and shops.

Below is a picture of the shrine at the top of the stairs.

...and finally a departing image as I was awaiting the bus to Shibukawa station (the train station).