When you visit a hot spring town in Japan, one of the must-dos is obviously bathing. If you want to be like a local and don’t mind bathing with strangers, we highly recommend visiting at least one of the below public bathhouses in Kusatsu Onsen. They are all for same-day visitors and the sourcing onsen is from one of Kusatsu’s six main hot spring sources. You can even experience Kusatsu’s traditional bathing method at two of such bathhouses!
Furthermore, the first three communal bathhouses listed below can be utilized even if you have a tattoo!
Kusatsu Onsen’s Main Public Houses, Including the Free Local Ones
- Gozanoyu (御座之湯)
- Ohtaki no Yu (大滝乃湯)
- Sainokawara Outdoor Bath (西の河原露天風呂)
- Kusatsu Onsen’s Unique Communal Bathhouses (共同浴場)
Tip: There is a 2-Day Tour departing from Tokyo covering Kamikochi, Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall, and Kusatsu Onsen. Refer to HERE for more information.
Refer to HERE for information about how to get to Kusatsu Onsen.
Tips:
☛ If you love to hop between different hot spring facilities, you can purchase a hot spring pass called Three Small-Yu Ticket (Choina Santōmeguri Tegata, ちょいな三湯めぐり手形) from any of the three bathhouses. You can enjoy hot springs at Gozanoyu, Sainokawara Open-Air Bath, and Ohtaki no Yu with the pass. The 1,950 yen pass will save you 750 yen. Plus you will get a certificate (完湯認定証) for trying out all three bathhouses at the last bathhouse of your choice!
☛ If you read Japanese or wish to visit Gozanoyu, Sainokawara Open-Air Bath, or Ohtaki no Yu more than 5 times, it would be worthwhile to download the Kusatsu Santō Electrical Stamp Card (草津三湯電子スタンプカード).
Important: Choina Sanyumeguri Tegata can only be used once at each bathhouse. The pass doesn’t have an expiry date.
Kusatsu Onsen’s Six Main Spring Sources
- Yubatake (湯畑), ph2.08: Yubatake is Kusatsu Onsen’s most famous hot spring source. It is the symbol of the hot spring town. Many of the hotels and ryokans around Yubatake source their hot springs from Yubatake.
- Bandai (万代), ph1.50: The spring source is located on a slightly remote hill from Yubatake. Starting from Sainokawara Open-Air Bath, Bandai is another spring source that many facilities in Kusatsu Onsen use.
- Avoid Bandai spring source if you are pregnant.
- Sainokawara (西の河原), ph 2.07: It is the spring source in Sainokawara Park.
- Nikawa (煮川), ph2.1: The only place you can enjoy this spring source is at Ohtaki no Yu. The hot spring is almost transparent!
- Shirahata (白旗), ph2.07: The spring source was discovered by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who started the Kamakura shogunate.
- Jizō (地蔵), ph 2.05: The spring source has been used to treat eye diseases since the good old days.
Gozanoyu (御座之湯)
Because ryokans and hotels’ check-in time is in the afternoon, if you can’t wait to indulge yourself in Kusatsu’s hot spring before you check in, you can stop by Gozanoyu (御座之湯) next to Yubatake. Because of the Shirahata Spring Source, the bathhouse later built on the spot has a connection to Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝). In fact, the bathhouse was named “Goza” because the stone that Yoritomo sat on when he bathed at Kusatsu Onsen is where the Gozanoyu is today!
Refer to our Gozanoyu article for more information!
Shirahata Spring Source (白旗源泉)
Before heading to the next spot on your itinerary, remember to visit the Shirahata spring source opposite Gozanoyu. Different from Yubatake, you can examine the Shirahata spring source up close.
The milky white hot spring is said to be discovered by Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) in 1193. This is why it is named the white flag, the same color as the Gen clan’s flag color.
The surname “源” can be pronounced as Minamoto or Gen. It is pronounced as “Gen” when it is used to refer to the clan/family.
Ohtaki no Yu (大滝乃湯)
Ohtaki no Yu is another public bathhouse for day visitors in Kusatsu Onsen. While it is the most expensive one, it is the most modern and well-equipped bathhouse with plenty of toiletries. Moreover, there is a special bathing area at the basement level called Awaseyu.
For more information, refer to our article on Ohtaki no Yu!
Sainokawara Outdoor Bath (西の河原露天風呂)
Sainokawara Outdoor Bath is located in Sainokawara Park. If you are interested in bathing in the middle of nature, this is the bath you would want to visit. Moreover, it is one of the few public bath houses in Japan where you can enjoy the hot spring with a different gender and with bathing suits. But note this exception only happens once a week.
For more information, refer to our Sainokawara Outdoor Bath article!
Kusatsu Onsen’s Unique Communal Bathhouses (共同浴場)
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 the below three bathhouses, they are not open to tourists.
As these bathhouses are primarily for the locals, no towels, toiletries, lockers, or shower facilities are provided/available. Only a shelf in the changing room is available to use.
Tips:
☛ If you only have time for one of the bathhouses, we recommend Chiyo no Yu as the hot spring is smoother with the least sulfur smell. Plus, it is another spot in Kusatsu Onsen where you can experience Yumomi!
☛ 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.
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.
Chiyo no Yu (千代の湯)
At Chiyo no Yu, besides the male and female-only baths, there is also a bath called Jikanyu (時間湯), meaning time hot spring.
It is a traditional way of bathing. If you want to bathe at Jikanyu, you must follow a certain procedure. Everyone will do the below at the same time with a command:
- Yumomi (湯もみ)
- You will want to do your best to cool down the water temperature so it won’t be too hot to bathe in later.
- Taking off the clothes in the changing room before returning to the Jikanyu bath. Male and female guests are given different time slots for the rest of the steps.
- Pouring hot spring on yourself (かけ湯)
- Your hair will get wet during this step because, in addition to your body, you need to pour water on your head as well. Your hair must be wrapped with a towel or a piece of clothing.
- Bath for three minutes (入湯3分間)
- Exit the bath
Repeating the above steps up to four times a day is said to be good for atopy, steroid dermatitis, depression and insomnia.
The time when Jikanyu is held is set each day at 9:30 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. But please confirm with the staff when you arrive, just in case.
Chiyo no Yu’s Male and Female Hot Spring Pools and Nigoriyu’s Day
While Chiyo no Yu’s male and female hot spring pools are small, with a capacity of a maximum of three adults, it still has their merits. Because the onsen pools are small and the hot spring would be down the drain quickly, the hot spring you bathe in is fresher than other hotels/ryokans nearby.
Similar to Ohtaki no Yu, Chiyo no Yu also has a Nigoriyu’s Day. Once every two months, when Yunohana is collected from Yubatake, the mineral deposits from the hot spring are stirred up and mixed into the hot spring during the process. So the onsen in all hot spring pools using Yubatake as a spring source will become milky for a couple of hours.
If you visit Chiyo no Yu on Nigoriyu’s Day, you are lucky! Why? Because the date isn’t announced beforehand! (^_-)-☆.
After you dip into Chiyo no Yu, there is a water fountain in front of the bathhouse in case you get thirsty. While it is just tap water, it is still delicious.
Chiyo no Yu’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Chiyo no Yu is open from 5 am to 11 pm.
- It is around a 1-minute walk from Yubatake.
Shirahata no Yu (白旗の湯)
Completed in 1994, Shirahata no Yu is the biggest and the hottest among the three public bathhouses. Sourcing the onsen from the Shirahata spring source, you will bathe in Kusatsu Onsen’s most cloudy hot spring.
Both male and female bathing areas have two hot spring pools, Nuruyu (ぬる湯) and Atsuyu (あつ湯). While Nuruyu means lukewarm hot water, don’t be fooled by its name. They really should have been named “Hot Water (Atsuyu, あつ湯)” and “Very Hot Water (Chō-Atsuyu, 超あつ湯)”.
The temperature difference between Nuruyu and Atsuyu is especially obvious. Instead of walking straight into the hot spring pool, let your body get used to the temperature by pouring the onsen over your head and body.
To our female readers, if you visit Shirahata no Yu in the early morning, one of the hot spring pools is likely to hold transparent onsen. This is because the hot spring in the pool is fresh, as the pool would have been cleaned in the morning. As time passes by, the onsen will become cloudy again.
Tips:
☛ Stay still in the hot spring pool. You will feel the water becoming hotter when you move around.
☛ 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.
☛ To our male readers, if the Nuruyu is too hot for you, there are a couple of buckets containing cooled hot spring water at the male bath. You can lower the hot spring’s temperature by adding the cold spring water into Nuruyu. Remember to fill the buckets with onsen after you pour out the cold spring. But please refrain from doing the same to Atsuyu.
Shirahata no Yu’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Shirahata no Yu is open from 5 am to 11 pm.
- Please note that the staff will clean the facility from 5 am to 6:30 am.
- It is around a 3-minute walk from Yubatake.
Jizō no Yu (地蔵の湯)
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, there is a face spa at Jizō no Yu where you can get your face steamed by the hot spring!
Refer to our Jizō no Yu article for more information!
Discover Other Attractions in Kusatsu Onsen
In addition to the public and communal bath houses 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.
