Departure: Highway bus
Today, I will take paid leave and go on a trip to Ikaho Onsen with my wife.
There are three ways to access Ikaho Onsen from Tokyo: car, train + bus, and express bus.
First of all, I would like to take a car, but since I am planning to drink alcohol from noon, and there is a possibility that I will not be able to drive the next day if I drink too much late at night, this is not an option.
The next option is train + bus. From Ueno Station in Tokyo, take the Shinkansen to Takasaki Station, then transfer to a conventional line to Shibukawa Station, and then take a local bus to Ikaho Onsen.
In addition to having to change trains when heading to Ueno Station in Tokyo, you will also have to change trains two more times, making traveling with travel luggage quite a hassle.
The last option is the express bus.
You can access Ikaho Onsen from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station without changing trains, so it's much easier than taking a train + bus.
So, this time I decided to visit by using the express bus.
I booked the first flight from Tokyo Station at 9:10 in advance.
There are 4 rows of seats, and although they are not very spacious, there is plenty of space between the seats.
Charging can be done via USB Type-A, but the charging speed is slow and I think there are few people who carry around a Type-A cable. .
Since it was not a late-night express bus, conversation was OK and there were no restrictions on eating or drinking on board.
Sanoya
After we departed, there was an announcement that the Kanetsu Expressway was closed due to an accident. .
As a result, passengers will be detouring around the area of the accident on the Tohoku Expressway, resulting in a delay of approximately 30 minutes to an hour from the scheduled arrival time.
Well, it can't be helped. .
I decided to take a break on the way to Sano Service Area in Tochigi Prefecture.
Speaking of Sano, it's Sano Ramen, so I started researching the moment I decided to stop by the Sano service area.SanoyaI confirmed that there is a store called ``.
The break time is 25 minutes, so if the restaurant is not crowded, you can eat and come back.
It was around 11:00 on a weekday, so it wasn't peak lunch time and it wasn't crowded, so I decided to have it.
The classic “Sano Ramen (850 yen)” was selected.
The sweet soup made from chicken, pork, knotweed, and vegetables, and the flat, curly noodles were impressive.
The noodles are said to be similar to Sano ramen, but they are not able to recreate that unique chewy texture, and give the impression that they are made by machine rather than by hand.
However, if this level of food can be eaten in the service area, it can be said to be sufficient.
It was an unexpected cup, but it was a satisfying one.
Of course, I was able to get back on the bus with plenty of time.
Ikeya
The original scheduled arrival time was around 11:40, but we arrived at the Ikaho Onsen bus stop (Miharashita) about 30 minutes late.
When we arrive, let's have lunch first.
So, I decided to check out the soba restaurant that I was interested in.Ikeya”.
Groups of customers enter from 1:00 pm, so I was able to enter on the condition that they leave by then.
While snacking on bottled beer and appetizer potato salad,Three color soba” I received it.
I enjoyed three types of soba: Sarashina, Mugwort, and Inaka, and personally, I liked the flavor and aroma of the soba noodles with the hearty taste of the countryside.
Foguang Mountain Hosui Temple
Leave your luggage at the hotel and go sightseeing.
From Miharashita, I took a bus and came to Bukkozan Hosui-dera Temple.
It is a temple of the Rinzai sect, whose head temple is in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
This is a famous temple that was also the filming location for the movie Kingdom.
At the top of the 238-step staircase, you can see the cityscape of Shibukawa City.
The building also has a great atmosphere.
Admission is free, and you can enter the building and view the Buddha statues.
I didn't take any photos, but the main hall had an overwhelming atmosphere.
There is a cafe on the grounds, and since Taiwan is famous for tapioca milk tea, I tried it.
I was impressed by the chewy tapioca and sweet milk tea that I had when I went to Taiwan a few years ago.
Hotel Tenbo
Staying overnight after 15:00 ``Hotel Tenbo” and checked in.
It is one of Kanto ITS's resorts, and you can stay there for a cheaper price than regular reservations.
The room is spacious and has enough space for my wife and I.
Dinner is buffet style, and the menu includes roast beef, abalone, snow crab, and sukiyaki.
Of course, it's a buffet, so you can eat as much as you want.
I ended up eating a little too much because I was trying to eat all kinds of food. .
There are two types of baths, and there are various types of baths within the large bath, so I ended up taking a long bath.
After taking a bath, I drank the beer I bought at the shop and ended the day.
Continued on the second day.
