Kusatsu Onsen — a real Hot Spring Gem
My expectations of Kusatsu Onsen were not too high to begin with. The little hot spring resort town is located in the mountains of Gunma prefecture about 3 to 4 hours by train north-east of Tokyo. Japan is famous for its hot springs and the bathing culture that is an important part of everyday life. Entering the hot bath tub after a long day at work is a tradition nearly every Japanese person follows . No matter how hard the day was, 43 degrees of hot water have a remarkable effect on your worries.
Putting one’s own ofuro — bathtub — aside, many foreigners coming to Japan dream of that perfect bath in an outdoor hot spring — called rotemburo — while overlooking snowy mountains/ a forest in autumn colors/ a clear lake with Fujisan in the background. We imagine ourselves sitting together with those red-faced monkeys in the natural hot springs deep in the Japanese mountains. This idea does not come from nowhere. No, documentaries and books about Japan tell us that this is actually Japan. Yes, we all know about the power of marketing but since we are all dreamers, we like to put this unsettling thought aside.
Boy, did I feel like a massive truck just hit me and my expectations right in my face when I stepped out of Kinugawa Onsen station in Tochigi prefecture. My husband and I had booked two nights in an expensive Onsen Hotel and we soon realized those would be some very long two days. Of course you can just spend the whole day (or days) in the hotel or more exactly, in the hot tub. But I can never sit in that hot water for longer than 10 minutes and together with the dry winter air my skin was soon very dry and irritated. I like to explore my surrounding when I am not being lazy in the hotel. For a while now, more and more people are developing a fascination for vacant and run-down houses, castles, hotels and I as well really like to look at those eerie photos of a forgotten time. In this respect, Kinugawa Onsen is a perfect destination. But I did not want to spend my christmas holidays in that run-down place. Most of the hotels and shops were shut-down with windows broken and fences surrounding the buildings. Huge hotels with hundred of rooms — empty. The few shops that were still there looked as if they were about to close — forever — very soon. This was my shocking first Onsen Town experience. After that I went to Lake Akan and that town had some shops, but all of the twenty shops were souvenir shops that tried to sell the same stuff and the two cafes I was trying to find were already closed (again, forever…). Utoro was my next stop, and the town in the Shiretoko National Park was also promoted as a popular hot spring resort town. Again, not a place you want to spend a lot of time in (the nature was amazing, but the town? Debatable).
I started wondering whether there are actually nice hot spring towns in Japan that fit at least some of the images in my head. I knew I haven’t seen many to make a final judgement but I was becoming increasingly frustrated with those touristy Onsen Towns.
We wanted to go to an Onsen town not far from Tokyo and Kusatsu is one of the most famous ones. With the Tokyo Wide Pass we were able to get there relatively cheap, considering that all the other JR train passes are not obtainable for non-tourist visa holders with the Tokyo Wide Pass being the big exception.
The small town is not the most convenient one to reach and maybe that is why the place is still not completely overrun by foreign tourists. From Ueno you can either take the Shinkansen to Takasaki and change into a limited express train to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi or you take the limited express train all the way from Ueno to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi. You actually don’t save that much time with the Shinkansen because you have to wait for the limited express train in Takasaki anyway. From Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi your only option is to take the bus up the mountain to Kusatsu Onsen. The busses come once or twice an hour and basically everyone who gets of at the train station is getting in the bus. I was impressed with their organisation because they provided whole set of buses for all the people as some old Japanese people were already getting nervous whether they would make it into the bus or not.
The weather gods were not on our side as we already enjoyed two weeks of rain and it was not about to change when in Kusatsu. The weird thing? We didn’t mind the downpour so much in Kusatsu. The moment we explored the small center of Kusatsu by foot we were enchanted. We were staying in a hotel west of the two shopping streets leading to the famous Yubatake — the hot water field that is one of the hot spring sources in town. The Yubatake is one of Japan’s single most productive hot springs and the sulfuric smell is definitely something one has to get used to first. After a while you don’t mind the smell of rotten eggs anymore and are able to fully enjoy the scenery. The Yubatake is impressive both day and night. There is a little foot onsen just next to the Yubatake and by night the hot spring is lit up and together with the sulfur clouds, the town center is eerily beautiful.
The hot spring town is older than Kinugawa and you can see that they had a very different concept. Most of the architecture follows a certain style (a mixture between traditional Japanese and traditional Alp village) and even the convenience stores adapted to this style with toned-down colors. Around the Yubatake you will find your fair share of souvenir shops and restaurants. Some restaurants are on the second floor and offer a nice view on the Yubatake although be sure that those are very popular. For coffee and cake, head to Tsukinoi. They are making lovely desserts in the back of the shop and if you get a seat there you can watch the patissier making those lovely dreams of sugar.
Head north-west and follow one of the streets (Sainokawara Doori) leading to the Sainokawara Park. The two streets will later become one and they are filled with souvenir shops, restaurants and izakayas (pubs). You won’t be able to make it through the whole street without tasting anything. From Onsen Tamago (eggs boiled for two hours in 45 degrees hot spring water) to Onsen Manju (buns filled with red bean paste) to soy sauce ice cream (surprisingly delicious) Yakiniku to go (grilles meat on a stick) — everything is just too delicious to miss. Looking for a special souvenir? Kusatsu is famous for its Kusatsu Onsen glass — glass that is emerald green and thus reflects the emerald green sulfuric hot spring. The pieces are beautiful but they have their price. In front of the Kusatsu Glass Warehouse at the end of the street you can get your own hot spring boiled Onsen Tamago.
In contrast to other tourist towns where you won’t see any people on the streets after 5pm, Kusatsu’s steets and center were filled with people despite the heavy rainfall. In Kusatsu, people cannot take the last train back home because Tokyo is too far so everyone is staying for one night and as the Yubakate is beautifully lit up at night, so the people are always heading to the town center after dark. Because of this, many restaurants and izakayas are still open in the evening.
But let’s talk a little bit more about the hot springs because that is what we eventually came for. Every hotel will have its own bath but you shouldn’t miss out on the public ones.
The most noteworthy one is the Sainokawara Park Rotemburo. The outdoor bath (rotemburo) is one of Japan’s biggest and even with dozens of people inside you don’t have to worry about your personal space. The rotemburo is surrounded by trees that look especially nice in fall. Of course, the baths are separated by sex and after paying a small fee (600 Yen) you can change and lock away your things in the changing room. Be advised, that contrary to normal onsen, there are no showers. You simply get naked and splash some hot water from a keg on your body.
The Sainokawara Park is in itself a nice spot. It takes about 5 to ten minutes from the park entrance to the public bath. On the way you will pass a nice stream and several hot springs that are bubbling out hot sulfuric water. Be careful with the small hot springs, they might be hotter than expected.
Other than the rotemburo, several other public baths are available:
Otakinoyu is a wooden indoor bath with several hot tubs ranging from 38 to 46 degrees.
Gozanoyu next to the Yubatake is a little bit more luxurious and lets you rent your own private tatami room for an additional fee.
Shirohatanoyu gets its water directly from the Yubatake so be prepared for very hot water in rather small tubs.
If you are not sure yet about the high temperatures, I recommend the rotemburo in Sainokawara Park. The pool is so big that the temperature is cooler on the outer parts and you can always sit on an elevated stone reaching out of the water if it gets too hot. And don’t forget the cool air. Many people are able to stay inside quite long because you can constantly cool down your body which is not as easy in an indoor bath where the air itself is already quite hot and steamy.
Most people only stay for a night in Kusatsu and I would say it’s enough if you are not planning on going hiking or seeing anything else close-by. We arrived at 1pm and had enough time for checking out the shops and going to the Sainokawara Park’s outdoor bath. If you are planning on checking out all the public baths, then there is a discounted Onsen pass where you can save some Yen. However, we did not have the time to watch the Yumomi performances that are held several times a day. It is a traditional method of women cooling down the hot water that involves singing and dancing. We saw long queues in front of the building so we skipped it.
Looking for a nice weekend trip while soaking in a hot spring? Then Kusatsu Onsen is your place. I am already planning my next trip back to Kusatsu.
How to get there:
Fastest way is via train to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi and then hop on the bus to Kusatsu Onsen (about 3 hours from Ueno). There are also busses departing from Tokyo and a few other stations directly to the onsen town.
Where to stay:
Definitely spend a night in Kusatsu in one of the numerous Ryokans. Don’t miss out on the night view on Yubatake.
What do do:
Onsen hopping, Sainokawara Dori with its shops and food stalls, a visit up to Konsenji Temple close to Yubatake, Yubatake by day and night,
What to eat:
Kusatsu is famous for Onsen Manju and Onsen Tamago.
