In Kusatsu Onsen, there are 19 public bathhouses utilized by the locals. Different from the normal public houses, they are administered by the locals and are free to use. But apart from Jizō no Yu (地蔵の湯) and the other two bathhouses, they are not open to tourists. Before you get too excited about the word “free”, note no towels, toiletries, lockers, or shower facilities are provided/available. Only a shelf in the changing room is available to use. After all, these bathhouses are primarily for the locals, and all they need to enjoy the hot spring is their home key and towels.
Tips:
☛ Usually, the bathhouses receive the least guests between 11:30 am and 1 pm.
☛ The more cloudy the hot spring is, the less hot it is.
About Jizō no Yu
Jizō no Yu is also used for rehabilitation. It is the rarest among all Kusatsu Onsen‘s spring sources and gives you the least stinging sensation. Because only four accommodations use Jizō no Yu’s spring source, if you want to try it out, head to Jizō no Yu and experience it for free!
Moreover, Jizō no Yu is another spot in Kusatsu where you can see hot springs flowing out from the ground. The spring source is protected with a guardrail on one side of the square where the bathhouse is located.
Jizō no Yu’s Hot Spring Tub and Food and Hand Spa
There is also a foot spa in the square. Use it as a temperature indicator. If it is too hot for you, Jizō no Yu probably isn’t where you want to bathe. Whenever we walked past the foot spa during the day, people were enjoying it. But there was never fully packed like the one next to Yubatake.
The spa’s temperature was perfect for us. On a chill autumn day, dipping our feet into the hot spring was the most relaxing thing we did at Kusatsu Onsen!
Like other communal baths in Kusatsu Onsen, the bathing space at Jizō no Yu isn’t spacious (refer to the 6th photo in the Instagram post). It is just big enough for a family of four.
Tips:
☛ As the changing room and the hot spring pools are in the same space, cover your clothes with a towel so they don’t get wet.
☛ The square is illuminated at night.
Jizō no Yu’s Legend
The Jizō-dō (地蔵堂) erected in 1808 next to Jizō no Yu has a Me Arai Jizō (目洗い地蔵), which means an Eye-Washing Jizō. At the time, a guy called Tokubee (徳兵衛) was troubled by eye diseases. One night, Jizō Bodhisattva appeared in his dream and said to him, “Treat your eyes with Jizō no Yu. Your eye diseases will be cured”.
Following the instruction of the oracle, Tokubee’s eyes soon became healthy again after he treated his eyes with hot spring water. Many locals also benefited from Jizō no Yu, which is why a Jizō-dō was built.
Please note that the hot spring water isn’t suitable for washing your eyes. A way for your eyes to receive the hot spring’s medical benefits is by covering your eyes with a towel soaked in the onsen.
Face Spa at Jizō no Yu
Or you can utilize the Face Spa (顔湯) at the square. It is probably the only hot spring facility for the face in Japan. If you put your face against the rectangular opening, your face will receive a good sauna session. If you suffer from dry eyes, you might feel it got better after a while!
It was a little bit tricky to use the face spa, though. Probably because the hot spring was too far down, the amount of steam from the onsen wasn’t quite enough for a proper face spa. Especially when there was wind, we had to adjust our face’s angle to feel the steam.
But overall, it was a fun experience trying out the face spa!
Jizō no Yu’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Jizō no Yu is open from 8 am to 10 pm.
- It is around a 5-minute walk from Yubatake.
- Look for the wooden pillar in the photo, follow the passageway up the stairs, and you will then reach the ryokan, Ichi no Yu. Follow those two people in the second photo, turn right, and you will reach the communal bathhouse.
Rules to Be Followed at Kusatsu’s Free Communal Bathhouses
- While money is not charged, a towel is a must to utilize these bathhouses.
- Be nice and courteous to other guests.
- Rinse your body with the hot spring before entering the onsen pool. When pouring onsen over yourself, sit down, so that the water does not splash.
- Before returning to the changing room/area after a hot spring session, dry your body with your towel first.
- Never try to stop the hot spring from flowing out of the tab.
- Please don’t use body soap or shampoo at these bathhouses. No foams can be produced with the hot spring at Kusatsu Onsen, anyway.
Discover Other Attractions in Kusatsu Onsen
In addition to Jizō no Yu we have introduced, Kusatsu Onsen has much more to offer. Whether it is soba noodles, traditional sweets or outdoor activities, such as obstacle courses and skiing, you surely won’t be bored during your time at Kusatsu Onsen!
For more information, refer to our article on Kusatsu Onsen (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
