#takaragawa

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Takaragawa - toshi.mono

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Tengu : Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma-ken, Japan / Japón por Miguel Michán Por Flickr: Máscara gigante de un Tengu en el onsen Takaragawa, Japan / Japón・日本・群馬県・宝川温泉 汪泉閣 takaragawa onsen osenkaku / rotenburo / hot springs / long nose / japanese folklore Pulsa L para verla más grande sobre negro / Hit L to see big on black Pulsa F para marcar como favorita / Hit F to fave

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PekoPeko!TV Blog | Gunma | Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣

Takaragawa onsen had some of the most mythical like scenery I had ever seen. I can’t speak for everyone, but when I think holiday I picture somewhere sunny and tropical perhaps, yet here I was exposed to a season that we usually complain or dodge altogether. 

I was struck by the sheer beauty of it all and wanted to capture this for you, while I was fumbling about, juggling an umbrella and a camera in a yukata with wellies on, it was all worth it to show you a glimpse of what I experienced that day. I think we had a song in our heads all day whilst in this beautiful blizzard, and that would be this - enjoy!

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PekoPeko!TV Blog | Gunma | Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣

The last stop of the trip and what we would definitely say was the best: Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣. A traditional ryokan hidden away in a lush, remote location in the mountains of Gunma. During winter this serene hot spring hotel felt like something out of a story book. 

I first discovered this place from the YouTuber John Daub from his YouTube series Only in Japan. The idea of going to the snowy mountainside to experience a real outdoor onsen contrasting against the snow sounded incredible. Plus the food from his episode looked amazing and really, that was an understatement. 

We were not expecting upon arrival for this incredible feast to be laid before us. My favourite sukiyaki (hotpot) served with sashimi, grilled fish, seasonal delights and even bear soup was the best meal I have ever had in Japan. And thats saying something! How can you not feel like you are not royalty with a setting like this? If I could have one meal for the rest of my life, I think I found it here.

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Tengu : Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma-ken, Japan / Japón por Miguel Michán Por Flickr: Máscara gigante de un Tengu en el onsen Takaragawa, Japan / Japón・日本・群馬県・宝川温泉 汪泉閣 takaragawa onsen osenkaku / rotenburo / hot springs / long nose / japanese folklore Los tengu empezaron siendo una especie de duendes traviesos que despistaban a los sacerdotes que se adentraban en las montañas para realizar su iniciación al Shugendô (algo así como el camino al poder espiritual a través de la disciplina). Cuando estos regresaban narraban sus relatos de la experiencia, exagerando poco a poco las supuestas travesuras que los tengu les habían hecho sufrir para superar al anterior y así estos seres del folclore japonés terminaron adquiriendo su papel como demonios que habitan en los pinos y los cedros de las zonas montañosas. Se presentan en numerosas formas entre las que se incluye un monstruoso pájaro humanoide, pero la más común es la de una persona con la cara roja y una nariz desproporcionadamente larga. Según la wikipedia, "se relaciona a esta entidad con el concepto de extranjeros en Japón. Se les considera fundadores de escuelas de esgrima y de Jujitsu, y reivindican el origen divino de las artes marciales". Pulsa L para verla más grande sobre negro / Hit L to see big on black Pulsa F para marcar como favorita / Hit F to fave

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PekoPeko!TV Blog | Gunma | Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣

On the way home from Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣, in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. A traditional, natural hot spring ryokan which we experienced some of the best scenery and food of our lives. Together with our friend Rory during his Baker’s Dozen holiday in February. 

Back at what seems like the frontier between humanity and the untamed world we quickly went to the station to board the shinkansen (bullet train) back to Tokyo. Not before taking some fleeting shots of the snowy wilderness one last time.

This has really opened my eyes to the possibility of visiting colder climates in holiday seasons rather than hotter ones for a change. That is the beauty of Japan as it has it all, hot and cold climates are within reach thanks to its marvellous transport system. This is something I would gladly do again as Vic and I embark on more trips to explore this beautiful country we have grown to love more and more every day.  

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PekoPeko!TV Blog | Gunma | Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣

Leaving Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣, in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. A traditional, natural hot spring ryokan which we experienced some of the best scenery and food of our lives. Together with our friend Rory during his Baker’s Dozen holiday in February. 

So our visit here had come to an end but not before a coach trip (thankfully no more walking) back to the train station, where the scenery teased us with its snowy forested mountains. We even saw on the ride back some snow monkeys watching cautiously from afar, I imagine due for their daily bath in the natural hot springs as well. You can really appreciate how remote Takaragawa Onsen really is and how far we have come to reach it. I am again reminded of programs like Planet Earth 2 where the visuals were something only to be seen on TV. A sense of awe and wonder did come over me on the road back to civilisation. 

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PekoPeko!TV Blog | Gunma | Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣

The snowy setting of Takaragawa Onsen 宝川温泉汪泉閣, in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. A traditional, natural hot spring ryokan which we experienced some of the best scenery and food of our lives. Together with our friend Rory during his Baker’s Dozen holiday in February. 

There is something to be said for exploring a place like this with cold wooden interiors and a view that will freeze you in amazement. I couldn’t help but to explore the inn looking to find new angles of this wondrous place I was in. I am still stunned looking back at it as I have never seen snow so deep in my life!