Get into Hot Water at Kusatsu Onsen

Believe me, the water is very hot indeed!

Cathy Cawood Sep 30, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Tourists watch water fall into a pool at the lower end of Yubatake</p>

<p>View from the upper end of Yubatake (means 'hot water field')  </p>

<p>Pale yellow sulfur deposits. Sulfur is what gives hot spring water that 'rotten egg' smell.</p>

<p>The water is directed through a series of wooden chutes to reduce the temperature</p>

<p>Even after flowing through the series of wooden chutes, the water is still very hot</p>

<p>Hot waterfalls at the lower end of Yubatake</p>

<p>Onsen tamago - eggs cooked in hot spring water</p>

<p>A small shrine surrounded by coins  </p>

<p>Don't forget to remove jewelry before entering hot springs, or it may end up as black as these coins!</p>

<p>You can bathe in this small public bath house for free</p>

<p>Small dog waiting for its owner to emerge from one of the public bath houses  </p>

<p>There are a number of free foot baths around Kusatsu Onsen Town</p>

<p>Manhole cover featuring Kusatsu Onsen's mascot, Yumomi-chan</p>

Do you like very hot baths? If so, you'll love Kusatsu Onsen Town in Gunma Prefecture. The water bubbles from the ground at about 52 degrees - much too hot for bathing. Passing through Yubatake (hot water field) cools the water enough to fill the many bath houses around town. I visited two of the free public bath houses, but the temperature of the water was around 45 degrees - still too hot for me. I couldn't even last 5 minutes! The foot bath I tried was about the same temperature too, but was easier to bear because only my feet were immersed.

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Find out more about Kusatsu Onsen.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...