Kusatsu: Hot Springs, Culture and Skiing

Kusatsu offers several different points of interest for your trip: Yubatake in the center of the hot spring town of Kusatsu Onsen, the tradition of “Yumomi and Dance,” Sainokawara Park, and Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort. When planning your stay, it is worth considering these highlights separately. This way, you can decide whether you would mainly like to include the townscape and culture, the park, or skiing and snowboarding in your itinerary.

Yubatake in the center of Kusatsu Onsen

Souvenir shops and restaurants are located around Yubatake. The square is therefore part of the hot spring town’s central townscape. Yubatake is illuminated at night, bringing light and steam together. If you are interested in the place, this interplay offers a different impression from the distinctions associated with its history: in 2002, Yubatake was included in the selection of “100 Fragrant Landscapes.” In 2017, it was designated a national cultural property in the “名勝” category. The two years refer to two different recognitions.

The Yumomi tradition and its history

“Yumomi and Dance” performances are held at Netsunoyu in front of Yubatake. The tradition, which is typical of Kusatsu, is associated with communal bathing dating back to the Edo period. So at Yubatake, you encounter not only a central place in the hot spring town, but also a named cultural practice with historical significance. Dr. Erwin von Baelz offers another perspective on Kusatsu’s history: he visited the town in 1878 and praised its distinctive bathing method, spring properties, and surroundings.

Spring water and memorial stones in Sainokawara Park

In many places in Sainokawara Park, hot spring water emerges and flows away as the Yukawa River. The park also contains inscribed song lyrics and memorial stones to Dr. Baelz, Mokichi Saito, and Sakurako Mizuhara. Alongside the tradition associated with Yubatake, Kusatsu therefore offers a park with spring water streams and memorial sites. If you are interested in local history, the people named here and the inscriptions provide a distinct point of interest, while the spring water stream offers a different focus.

Skiing and snowboarding in Kusatsu

Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort is close to the main hot springs of Kusatsu Onsen. There, you can ski and snowboard between Kusatsu and Mount Kusatsu-Shirane. You can also factor in the approximate walking time: from the center of Kusatsu, the resort is about a 15- to 20-minute walk. This time estimate refers to the walk from the center to the resort, providing a specific guide for this part of your stay. If you would like to plan winter sports as well as visits to the hot springs, you can take both interests into account when arranging your trip.

Try local specialties

Culinary experiences available in Kusatsu include onsen manju and onsen tamago. Onsen manju are steamed sweet buns; onsen tamago are eggs cooked in hot springs. The two names refer to different specialties: one is a sweet bun, and the other is an egg cooked in a hot spring. No individual shops or restaurants are named here. If food is a consideration in planning your trip, you can include these two specialties as part of the local offerings.

Getting to Kusatsu

Direct buses connect the Shinjuku Bus Terminal to Kusatsu via Ikaho Onsen. The nearest railway station is Naganohara Kusatsuguchi; a connecting bus runs from there to Kusatsu and takes about 25 minutes. This time estimate refers to the bus ride from the station, not the walk to the ski resort. When planning your trip, it is therefore helpful to keep each route and travel time associated with its respective leg and to check the bus timetable before departure.

This gives you a clear idea of what you would like to do during your stay as you begin your search.

Discover more destinations: Nakanojō.

Go to the main travel overview: Agatsuma District.