MINAKAMI ONSEN, GUNMA
Minakami is just about one of the last regions in Gunma prefecture before you cross the border into neighbouring Niigata. This relatively remote area is famous for being one of the most beautiful hot spring spots in the Kanto region. Only about an hour and 10 mins from Tokyo station on the Joetsu Shinkansen - it’s an ideal weekend getaway for anyone looking to get away from the noise of Tokyo.
There are a number of onsen spread out across the Minakami valley. You can choose to stay at isolated, rustic ryokan attached to incredible baths at the well known Takaragawa and Hoshi Onsens. Takaragawa is famous for its mixed baths and gorgeous rotenburo and is a rare bath where guests must make use of the providing clothing while bathing. Tanigawa onsen also offers spectacular views from its bath at the foot of neighbouring Tanigawa mountain, nicknamed Death Mountain.
We visited the central resort town of Minakami Onsen. Like many other rural resort spots in Japan, this town feels like a strange snapshot of Showa Japan frozen in time. Walking through the mostly empty main street, the only sounds in the morning were those of the locals shovelling snow from the front of their snack bars, izakaya and soba restaurants.
We stayed one night at Minakamikan, a sprawling resort complex overlooking the rushing Tone River that pierces the valley below. The sheer size of this hotel feels completely incongruent with its peaceful, rustic surroundings and most of the rooms seemed to be unoccupied. The result was an eerie feeling of being lost in a liminal space. And yet precisely because of that - it offered the perfect spot to soak in an onsen overlooking the river, lose yourself in a book and escape the noise of Tokyo.
Anyone looking for a winter getaway should jump on the opportunity to spend a night at one of the onsen resorts in Minakami before the snow melts.