Located
1200 m above sea level and in the mountains of Gumma Prefecture, Kusatsu is
ranked the best Onsen town in Japan. Blessed with high-quality spring water,
the spring water is said to cure every illness except lovesick. We continued
our road trip from Karuizawa to Kusatsu and experience the most popular onsen
town ourselves.
Getting to Kusatsu from Tokyo
By Train
The
nearest train station to Kusatsu Osen Town is Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station. From
Tokyo, one can take the train from Tokyo station to Takasaki Station and to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi
Station. The entire journey takes around 2hr 45 minutes. Afterwards, From Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi
Station, one need to take a 30-minute bus to Kusatsu Onsen. Do note that there
are limited train ride service from Tokyo to Kusatsu. Thus, be sure to check
out the time schedule and not to miss it.
Alternatively,
take the train from Tokyo to Karuizawa and a bus from Karuizawa to Kusatsu
Onsen! The bus ride from Karuizawa to Kusatsu is from 80 -100 minutes. Do note
that JR Pass are not valid between Karuizawa and Kusatsu. Highly recommend you
to stay one night in Karuizawa before continuing your journey to Kusatsu.
Read more about Karuizawa here
By Bus
The
cheapest but longest way to Kusatsu is by Bus. The one-way 4-hour bus ride cost
3500 yen. You can board from Shinjuku JR
Highway bus terminal or Tokyu Bus operator. You can check the timeslot and book
your ticket here
By Car
The journey from Narita Airport is 4.5 hours to Kusatsu is 4.5 hours. Instead of
driving the full 4 hours. We took a stopover at Kawagoe and stay at night at
Karuizawa before continuing our journey to Kusatsu. The journey from Karuizawa
to Kusatsu is only an hour away.
What
determine the best Onsen?
I’ve visited
many Onsen prior to this trip and to be honest I was sceptical about the title.
We visited Obihiro last year and visited the beauty onsen. Despite
having the beauty Title, the onsen didn’t win any other award. So what actually
makes the onsen in Kusatsu so popular? I
decide to do research on onsen and found out that the Japanese do give grading to
Onsen. Below are the few factors that determine the standard of Onsen.
Minerals
The
quality of Onsen is usually determined by its nutrient and % of nutrient in the
water. The nutrients contain minerals such as as well as calcium, magnesium,
sodium-calcium chloride, sulfate and etc. These minerals have a moisturizing
effect on the body.
Kusatsu
has the most acidic Onsen water with antibacterial powers in Japan. Not only it
is mineral-rich, but it also helps to kill almost all bacteria and microorganism,
making it a favourite hot spring in the country
Source of Origin
With 7 a different source of water, Kutsasu has the largest flow of water volume. The
constant flowing of water makes it possible for all Ryokan in Kusatsu to
provide spring water that does not need to be reheated, diluted or
adjusted.
Temperature
It is
said that the thermal effect from Onsen helps to improve blood circulation and
metabolism. The common temperature of Onsen is between 38 - 40 degree. However,
the one in Kusatsu can be as hot as 46 degrees!
Things to do in Kusatsu
If
there is the only thing you need to do in
Kusatsu, it will be just to chill and enjoy the onsen! There are many hot spring resorts in Kusatsu for you to experience this authentic onsen experience. Even
if you don’t stay in a ryokan, there are many public baths for you to
experience!
Ryokan Tamura
We stayed at a traditional Ryokan - Ryokan Tamura
in Kusatsu and for a night with half-board service to enjoy the full
traditional experience. Even though the staff obasan that help us with our
dinner doesn’t speak English, she managed her to convey her thoughts through
smiles and body language. Definitely, a unique way to experience Kusatsu the
local way!
Yubatake
The iconic landmark of Kusatsu used to be the central place
for storing water before transporting to various ryokan and homes. Be sure to
visit in the morning and night because it gives off a different vibe! At night,
when the light shines on Yubatake, it feels very romantic!
Yumomi Performance
The
next morning, we visited Yumomi Performance – a performance where the local
dance to folk music while showing how Yumomi is done. You can even try it out
at the end of the session and get a certificate! Do get the voucher from your
ryokan or here for a discounted rate!
Sainokawara Street and Sainokawara Park
Put on your
Yukata and take a walk. With many traditional inns located along Sainokawara
street, one can enjoy the rustic vibe Sainokawara street offers. If time allows,
continue walking and visit Sainokawara Park. The 500 sqm park offers Outdoor Onsen! One can soak their feet in the outdoor and enjoy the legendary onsen!
Romantic Road
We
continued our journey from Kusatsu to Kurobe. The long drive was rewarded with an amazing view. We stop by the highest peak along all highway and the view was
amazing! We didn’t get to see the much of the colour change earlier on but was
managed to see it during our drive.
Central Japan Self drive itinerary
Read Kurobe Itinerary - Kurobe Gorge Railway (part 4)
Read Takayama Itinerary & Things to do in Takayama here (Part5)
Read Takayama Itinerary & Things to do in Takayama here (Part5)
Other Japan Travel Itinerary
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