2025 Agatsuma District Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in February)

"Old Taishi Station" is an industrial heritage site located in Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture. It was the starting station of the "Taishi Line", a freight line dedicated to transporting iron ore mined at the old Gunma Iron Mine. After the line was closed in 1971, it was completely lost from people's memories and was buried under sand. In recent years, there has been a growing momentum to revive it as a tourist resource, so the buried sand was removed, the station was redeveloped, and the station building and platform were restored. This concrete pillar is the "hopper building". It was a facility where iron ore was dropped from above and placed in freight cars for transport. The pillar in the foreground is exposed to wind and rain and is on the verge of collapse, The clean part at the back is well preserved, thanks to being buried under the dirt. Retired carriages donated from all over the country are on display at the restored platform. This alone is worth the visit for railway fans. By the way, one of these carriages is installed at the entrance to the old Taishi Station as a sign. They hope that people will use this carriage as a landmark when visiting the old Taishi Station. The restored station building has been turned into a museum, where you can see photos of the old Taishi Station. You can also purchase rare railway goods that are only sold here. #tripdomestictravel #GunmaPrefecture #breathtakingviews #industrialheritage

Located in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, it is a famous hot spring resort destination, boasting the number one natural hot spring output in Japan, reportedly ranking first for 16 consecutive years. As soon as you step into this place, there is a smell of sulfur, but that is exactly its charm! 🚉Transportation tips: If you're not in a hurry, I recommend taking the bus directly from Shinjuku Station. Without traffic, it takes about four hours to get there~ After leaving Shinjuku Station, cross the street and go up to the third floor, where the bus terminal is located. It's best to buy your ticket the day before and take the opportunity to stroll around Shinjuku~ ❤Reasons to recommend: The scenery along the bus ride is beautiful, and if you're lucky, you can even see Mount Fuji, which is one of the reasons I recommend taking the bus. Once you arrive at Kusatsu Bus Terminal, it's just a two or three hundred meters walk to Yubatake, where the entire street is steaming, and footbaths can be found all over the small town, along with many public hot springs. The most famous is probably Otakinoyu, which costs only 1100 yen. It has both indoor and outdoor baths, and is fully equipped with toiletries, but you need to bring your own towel~ 🏨Hotel environment: We stayed at Kusatsu Hotel Unkai Onsen this time. This hotel not only has three bath pools but also offers one night with two meals~ We booked a Japanese-style deluxe room which was very spacious, and the garden view from the window was also super beautiful. We went for a soak in the afternoon of our arrival day, where the toiletries were super complete. After changing into a yukata, we could take pictures around the hotel. We had dinner reserved for 18:30, and after a lovely meal, we went for a stroll around Yubatake to digest, where a local specialty store was very nice to shop at, and I accidentally started a shopping spree The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we soaked in another bath pool, then enjoyed a free freshly ground coffee at the third-floor book bar, and checked out with great satisfaction ^_^ 💰Average cost: We went during a long holiday, and the hot spring hotel was over 3000 per night, about 1500 per person, but it included meals and hot spring baths, which was quite a good deal. On weekdays, it's probably only about 2000 per night, and besides shopping, there's basically no need to spend extra money. If you have a sufficient budget, you can also choose Kusatsu Onsen Nara-ya, which is right next to Yubatake. The cafe is a popular spot for people to check in, and the meals are even more exquisite~

#fallingseason