Yubatake, Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Pref.

Southern side of the Yubatake. Onsen is gushing from the bottom. Wooden devices of upper pond is to cool down the hot springs and to collect sulfur powder.  

Ever heard of the Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Pref, Kanto Region? Well, Kusatsu has been chosen "the most popular hot springs in Japan" for 10 years continuously by the survey conducted by the Kanko Keizai Shimbun or the Sightseeing Economic Journal.

North end of the Yubatake.

There is a huge hot spring pond named "Yubatake" located center of the Kusatsu Onsen. Strong acid onsen - pH about 2.0 is gushing about 4,600 litters per minute in this pond. The temperature at the fountainhead is about 60 degrees Celsius. Of course it's not for soaking.

The whole Yubatake view from the Kosenji Temple.

The Kusatsu onsen is said to be effective for skin disease, neuralgia, joint pain, chronic digestive disease, arteriosclerosis and many other symptoms. The hot spring of Yubatake was carried to Edo (present Tokyo) for the bathing of Yoshimune, the 8th Shogun of Edo period in 1726.

Onsen cooled down a bit while flowing in these wooden gutter. 

Access to Kusatsu Onsen: There are some express train to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi from Ueno, central Tokyo. From Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, about 20 minutes bus ride will take you to the Kusatsu bus terminal. It's a 5 minute walk to the Yubatake. Or you can take the direct bus from Shinjuke to Kusatsu bus terminal.

There are classical ryokans on both sides of the street near the Yubatake.

Onsen Ryokan Ranking 2011 by Biglobe

Biglobe, one of the biggest portal site in Japan released "The Fourth Onsen Award" recently. 10,931 internet users voted this survey between Oct 5 and Nov 16. Ten most popular onsen ryokans/hotels among Japanese are:

1. Kagaya (Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref)
2. Daiichi Takimotokan (Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido)
3. Suimeikan (Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref)
4. Suginoi Hotel (Kankaiji Onsen, Oita Pref)
5. Hotel Urashima (Nanki Katsuura Onsen, Wakayama Pref) Chinese site
6. Arima Grand Hotel (Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref)
7. Hyoe Koyokaku (Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref)
8. Akan Yukyunosato Tsuruga (Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido)
9. Ibusuki Hakusuikan (Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref)
10. Hotel Ichii (Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Pref)

I couldn't find websites in English for Hotel Urashima (5th) and Hotel Ichii (10th).

Link: Official Onsen Ryokan Ranking page (in Japanese only)

Shiriyaki Onsen, Nakanojo-machi, Gunma Pre.

Two soakers preparing step in the hot spring river. Four soakers including Onsen Soaker near upper right corner. Upper part of the river is frozen.

Located near the famous Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, the Shiriyaki Onsen(尻焼温泉), literally means "buttocks burning hot springs", is one of the rare onsens gushing from the bottom of the river and soakable entire width of the river year round in beautiful location. This in one of my most favorite onsens in Kanto Region.

A part of the Nagasasazawa-gawa or Nagasawazawa river, makes a large open-air bath, about 25 meters by 30 meters. If you watch carefully, you can see hot springs are gushing from the bottom. Temperature of the river water was 30-38°C last weekend. I found comfortable spot of around 38°C and soaked an hour and half. The air temperature was 3-4°C.



Clothing is optional. In the summer, many families visit and soak wearing swimsuits, bring tubes for swimming and other goods. Well, it looks like beach sides and I avoid to visit in mid summer.

In the winter, many male visitors soak in their birthday suites just hanging washing towels in front of their bodies. Ladies soak in swimsuits or in clothe for mixed baths, but there is no changing room and you have to change clothes in your car or public rest room nearby.

There is also an indoor bath at the riverside. Clothing prohibited in this bath. The water temperature here is warmer than in the river as hot springs directly piped in this bath.

There is only a few ryokans around without any kind of shops, you need to bring towels and other stuffs you may need.

If you're nature oriented, you'll like the Shiriyaki Onsen.


You can see the hot spring pool over the roof of the indoor bath.

◆Shiriyaki Onsen (尻焼温泉）

Type: Gender Mixed open-air bath.

Address: Kuni, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Pref.

Location: 36.648460, 138.64791

Access: Almost all soakers visit with their own vehicles. If you want to visit with public transportation, take bus from Naganohara Kusatsuguchi Station of Agatsuma Line to Hanasiki Onsen (花敷温泉). There are only tree or four service a day for each way. You can walk to Shiriyaki Onsen from the Hanashiki in 15-20 minutes.

Available hour: Round the clock round the year. Sometimes the water level is too high to soak especially after heavy rain and snow melting season.

Admission fee: Free

Equipment: indoor bath

My rating (A-E): A


The red letters tell "Swim Suites Prohibited".

"Second Onsen Award" released by Biglobe

Another onsen ranking news came in. The Biglobe, a leading portal site in Japan released "The Second Onsen Award" late last month. This is rather new face survey, they started this award last year.The survey is based not only on polls by nearly forty thousand users, but also on access data of their sites and users' reviews.


Although you can't soak yourself in, the Yubatake (Onsen field) is a symbol of first ranked Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Pref.　(photo: Dec.2003)

Second ranked Yufuin Onsen, Oita Pref. is known for onsen resort. At the same time there are some shabby public baths (My favorites) scattered around. You can see Mt. Yufu from almost everywhere in Yufuin. (photo: Jan. 2008)

Onsen steam rising from the Jigokudani or hell valley in the winter at the third ranked Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido. (Photo: courtesy of Yun-san http://www.yunphoto.net/)

The top10 rankings are as follows:

1. (1) Kusatsu Onsen, Guma Pref. Kanto Region
2. (2) Yufuin Onsen, Oita Pref. Kyushu Region
3. (4) Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido
4. (3) Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref. Kansai Region
5. (5) Hakone Yumoto Onsen, Kanagawa Pref. Kanto Region
6. (6) Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Pref. Kansai Region
7. (8) Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref. Tokai Region
8. (9) Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto Pref. Kyushu Region
9. (11)Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref. Shikoku Region
10. (7) Beppu Onsen, Oita Pref. Kyushu Region

(Last year's rankings)

Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma Pref.

The mixed gender open-air bath named "Kodakara no yu" in the midwinter, not in early Dec. (photo: courtesy of the Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen)

This onsen ryokan is everyone's favorite without a doubt. There are four big rotenburos or open-air baths along Takara-gawa, the River Takara. One of them is for ladies only, and other three are mixed gender baths. All of them are harmonized with surrounding nature and you don't have to choose season to visit　as you can enjoy any time of the year. I spent hours hopping the four baths and an indoor bath at my last visit in  March.


The Main building of the Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen in the midwinter.

It's a huge estate (at leaset for the Japanese). If you make a day visit, pay admission fee at the Takaragawa-sanso just besides the bus stop, put your valuables in a locker (¥100 necessary), walk through junks (you'll see) to the rotenburos. Changing rooms are gender separated, and ladies are allowed to rap their body with bath towels, it's easy for female first-timers to try the mixed bath here. You can rent a bath towel (¥100). If you need a hand towel, you have to buy it (¥200).


"Maka no yu", the biggest open-air bath in the night.

Recommendable Onsen Ranking - JTB survey

A view near Hakone Yumoto Station. It's difficult to choose a typical Hakone picture as there are various types of onsen there. (photo: May 2007, courtesy of my husband)

The most recommendable onsen in Japan is Hakone Onsen, in Kanagawa Pref, Kanto Region - a recent online survey by the JTB, a leading Japanese travel company reveals.


You can't miss the Yubatake (hot spring filed) when you visit second ranked Kusatsu Onsen. (photo: Dec.2003)

The survey was conducted in early Aug, collected 1254 polls. Asked about "most recommendable onsen to others", 103 respondents picked Hakone. It's popular mainly because of easy access from Tokyo. Actually, it's within a day trip distance from Tokyo, and there are various types of onsen like public baths for local residents, an onsen amusement park, and so many ryokans and hotels scattered in wide area.

Recent Updates

[1] Funsenchi of Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref. has changed dramatically. It's surrounded with primitive walls now, and all soakers regardless gender and age are required to wear swimsuites. Swimsuites bathing is in transition period now and obligatetory from Feb. 1, 2010 (I think if we have to wear swimsuites, walls aren't necessary). See my post "Funsenchi, Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref." dated Jan.17, 2009.

[2] After the DPJ's landslide victory over LDP at the general election last weekend, future of the Kawarayu Onsen, Gunma Pref. gets unpredictable, as the DPJ has promised to suspend construction of Yamba Dam, which was going to submarge the Kawarayu Onsen.

The Yamba Dam construction plan first made public about 60 years ago. Residents of the Kawarayu Onsen accepted the plan in 2001 after severe opposition activities against it for several decades, and before the recent election, they were supposed to move alternative site "New Kawarayu Onsen" in a few years. See my post "Kawarayu Onsen, Gunma Pref. (1)" dated Jan. 24, 2009.

[3] Added how to go to the Kita Onsen, Tochigi Pref. by public transportation. See my post " Kita Onsen Ryokan, Tochigi Pref." dated Mar. 6, 2009

A ryokan owner's son arrested for filming ladies' changing room

The Houkokukan and its ladies' indoor bath. (photo: June 2004)

The second son of the owner of the Houkokukan, a ryokan in Manza Onsen, Gunma Pref. was arrested for filming ladies' changing room of the ryokan on June 29, 2009.

A female guest noticed a small video camera set in a ventilation pipe near ceiling of the changing room and called the police. The police easily found the offender as he had filmed himself while setting the video camera (The camera wasn't wirelessly controlled).

According to some newspaper reports, he admitted he had filmed the changing room several times before. The ryokan has suspended its business after the scandal was reported widely. It is said to open again in late July.

The Houkokukan has more than 80 years of history and being popular among Japanese soak addicts including me.

[Update] The Hokokukan resumed its business on July 14, 2009.

Four onsens ranked in "Top 20 Sightseeing Spots in Japan"

The open-air bath for ladies at Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma Pref. There are three gender mixed open-air baths as well. Takaragawa Onsen ranked 16th among top 20. (photo: Mar. 2009)

Four onsens ranked in "Top 20 sightseeing spots drawing interests from abroad", according to a recent survey conducted by TripAdvisor Japan. The survey is based on their websites' page view, visit length, the number of review posted and etc. by their users outside of Japan.

They are Spa World in Osaka (9th), Ooedo Onsen Monogatari (pronounce as Oh-edo) in Tokyo (11th), Spa RaQua in Tokyo (13th), and Takaragawa Onsen in Gunma Pref.(16th).

Spa World of Osaka is a very big complex. It says "Comfortable space of beauty and health. One of the biggest natural hot springs in the world" on the wall. (photo: Aug. 2007)

In spite of recognizing myself as a soak addict and living in Tokyo more than these 10 years, I've never been to Ooedo Onsen Monogatari nor Spa RaQua. I wonder if I deserve blogging about onsen. (^^;

Kawarayu Onsen Gunma Pref. (2)

Public Baths

There are three wonderful public baths at Kawarayu Onsen. Highly recommended for soak addict.


The Syotensama Rotenburo. Looks like a small hut on a hill.

■Syotensama Rotenburo（聖天様露天風呂）
Located up on a hill, this male and female mixed open-air bath has no changing room. There are roof, wood deck, shelves, a clock, fee box, and some bowls besides the bath itself. That's all. Soaking towels into the bath and wearing swim suites are prohibited.

No walls, low fences. Too open?

It's embarrassing for most ladies to soak themselves in. As for me, I visited in the early morning in March, fortunately I didn't meet any other visitors.

Dressing & undressing space.

Admission fee is JPY 100. Opens 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, until 8:00 PM between Apr. and Nov. Smoking, eating and drinking are strictly prohibited in and around the bath, also at the other public baths.

■Sasayu（笹湯）
Near the Syotensama Rotenburo, this small simple and neat (at least inside) public bath has ladies' and men's space separated. Mainly for local residents, but open to visitors as well. Admission fee JPY 300. Opens 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, until 6:00 PM between Apr. and Nov.


The character "ゆ" means hot water.


The ladies' bath.


The men's bath.

■Oyu（大湯）
This is the biggest of the three, and there is a manager at the entrance to collect admission fee. It has Uchiyu indoor bath, and Rotenburo open-air bath (unfortunately this Rotenburo isn't so open). Both have men and ladies separated baths. Usually at other places, the Uchiyu and the Rotenburo are connecting, but they are separated here. Each has their own dressing room, and you have to put on cloths before moving to the other. Admission fee JPY 300. Opens 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, until 6:00 PM between Apr. and Nov. Closes on New year's day and 20th. Jan.


The most touristic place among the three.


The Uchiyu, indoor bath.


The Rotenburo, open-air bath is small, and not so open as the Syotensama Rotenburo.

Travel Tips
The Kawarayu Onsen is in Gunma Pref, Kanto area. It's within a day trip distance from Tokyo if you want. The express train "Kusatsu" from Ueno will directly take you to the Kawarayu station in two and half hours. You can drop in on the way to/from the Kusatsu Onsen. It's an easy walk from the station to all of the public baths I mentioned above. If you choose local trains, first go to Takasaki（高崎） with Takasaki-line, then change trains to Agatsuma-line（吾妻線）. The Agatsuma-line trains serve every hour or less.


An Agatsuma line local train near Kawarayu station.

There is a tourist information center in front of the Kawarayu Onsen railway station. (I doubt they speak English.) They serve Japanese noodles and buns. There is only a few places to eat in the area. The 40 year-run Furusato restaurant near the entrance gate is closing down at the end of Jan. 2009.

Kawarayu Onsen, Gunma Pref. (1)

[update] After the DPJ's landslide victory over LDP at the general election in Japan Aug. 30, 2009, future of the Kawarayu Onsen gets unpredictable, as the DPJ has promised to suspend constraction of Yamba Dam, which was going to submarge the Kawarayu Onsen.

The Yamba Dam construction plan first made public about 60 years ago. The residents of Kawarayu Onsen accepted the plan in 2001 after severe opposition activity against the construction for several decades, and before the election, they were supposed to move alternative site, "New Kawarayu Onsen" in a few years. (Sep. 3, 2009)


The entrance gate of Kawarayu Onsen.

Onsen without Future

No wonder Kawarayu Onsen（川原湯温泉） is getting deserted year by year. A planned flood prevention dam will submerge the area under deep water in the near future, maybe in 6 to 7 years. The officials decided replacing the Kawarayu Onsen to near area as "New Kawarayu Onsen", some of ryokans(Japanese inn), shops, and restaurants have already closed down.


It says "Welcome to the Kawarayu Onsen, the town sinking into a dam".

In spite of more than 800 year history, same as the nearby Kusatsu Onsen, the Kawarayu Onsen's popularity is far behind. But this forgotten Onsen fascinated me. It's so quiet. I can't help but feeling the sorrow of falling places every time I visit.

The water itself is quite hot, originally more than 70 degrees Celsius, 158 degrees in Fahrenheit. There is a hot spring well providing newly dug New Kawarayu Onsen beside the Onsen Shrine. You can make the Onsen Tamago, or hot springs boiled eggs here for free.


A basket tied to a stick is ready. Put eggs in the basket and soak for about 20 -25 minutes to make Onsen Tamago.

Yukake Matsuri

The Yukake Matsuri or the Splashing Spring Festival is held on January 20 every year. It starts around five o'clock in the morning. Many men wearing traditional Japanese underwear splash the hot spring each other. It has about 400 years history, supposed to continue at the replaced new site.



Useful Words:
Kawarayu Onsen (Kawarayu Hot Springs) 川原湯温泉
Kusatsu Onsen (Kusatsu Hot Springs)　草津温泉
Onsen Tamago (Eggs boiled by hot springs)　温泉卵
Yukake Matsuri (Splashing Spring Festival) 湯かけ祭り

Continue to Kawarayu Onsen (2)