Kusatsu Onsen
One Of Japan'S Three Famous Springs · Kusatsu, Gunma
A mountain hot-spring town in Gunma, often ranked as the best onsen in Japan, with some of the most abundant and acidic spring water in the country. In the middle of town is the Yubatake, the hot-water field, where steaming, sulphur-green water pours down a series of wooden channels to cool before being piped to the inns, and collects yellow deposits of yunohana, the mineral flowers, harvested for bath salts. The water is so hot that bathers traditionally cooled it by stirring it with long wooden paddles while singing, a practice called yumomi, which is shown several times a day at the Netsu no Yu hall, where visitors can try it. Sainokawara Park has a large outdoor bath in a valley of steaming streams, and several free public bathhouses serve the town. The Yubatake is lit up at night, when visitors stroll in yukata between the baths. In winter the town is a ski resort on Mount Kusatsu-Shirane. Kusatsu is reached by train and bus from Tokyo in about three hours. The acidic water is said to cure everything except lovesickness.
Yubatake, Kusatsu-machi, Kusatsu, Gunma, 377-1711, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the communal baths open from early morning to late evening, with cleaning breaks, and some close on set days. Sainokawara and Otaki no Yu open from morning to late evening, with last entry some time before closing. Yumomi shows run several times a day at fixed times, with the last show in late afternoon. The Yubatake is open at all hours and lit at night. Last buses to the station leave in the evening. Confirm current times and volcanic closures before relying on them.