[2025 Kusatsu Stay] Travel Guide for Kusatsu Onsen Boun (Updated Mar)

During the New Year's holiday when it was snowing heavily, I visited Kusatsu Onsen, a hot spring town with hot spring terraces. A strong cold front has also arrived in the Kanto region, so I made an early reservation to go to Kusatsu Onsen for a hot spring bath and food tour during the New Year holiday. The convenient JR Passes allow you to travel smoothly all the way, which is convenient and easy. Even the transition from JR to BUS is done on the spot. When we arrived at the Kusatsu Onsen area, the air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur, and we were looking forward to soaking in the hot springs to warm our bodies. Great trip to the onsen ryokan.

This accommodation is located on a small slope. Overall, it is very satisfying. It does not have the atmosphere of an old hotel and is in line with the aura of a traditional Japanese bath. Many corners in the hotel are beautiful for taking photos. Both meals in the one-night-two-meals plan were great. We enjoyed Japanese kaiseki cuisine in a separate box for breakfast and dinner. I deeply felt that although there are not many attractions in Kusatsu, it is a good choice to take advantage of the current cheap Japanese yen exchange rate to arrange a good hotel and enjoy a Japanese bath! 2022.12

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~