Take the train to Kusatsu Onsen! Enjoy a hot spring experience and Osaru no Yumomi (Osaru's hot spring bath)!

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Onsen + α fun in Kusatsu, not only Onsen
When you think of Kusatsu Onsen, does the image of a woman in kimono stirring the hot water vigorously with a long board come to mind? The indescribable aroma of hot spring water and the traditional bathing method in the steamy atmosphere are unique to Kusatsu Onsen!
Yumomi (hot water freshening)
This is called "Yumomi. The source of Kusatsu Onsen is too hot to bathe in as it is. Therefore, a board (about 180 cm in length) is placed in the hot spring water and the water is firled to lower the temperature to the point where it can be used for bathing. Even the monkeys in Kusatsu Onsen are said to do this....

In this issue, we will introduce such Kusatsu specialties as the "Yumomi and Dance" show, the latest gourmet foods, sweets, and souvenirs. You can take a train, walk, or a bus to get around! This is a 2-day/1-night model course without a car.

▼Click here for a model course for Day 1.

09:45 Speaking of Kusatsu! Yumomi and Dance" show at Atsunoyu

First, let's go to Atunoyu to see the "Yumomi and Dance" show! Atunoyu is a symbolic building in Kusatsu and was originally a public bathhouse that has existed for a long time. It is characterized by its Taisho-roman style exterior.
Exterior view of "Atsuno-no-yu
The inside of the building is a two-story atrium, and when you enter, you can smell the aroma of hot spring water. Seating is unreserved, and you can watch a powerful yumomi show on the first floor and the entire yumomi show from the second floor. Chairs are provided for visitors to sit and watch the show.
Stage visible from the first floor
Second Floor Seating
The show begins with the folk song "Kusatsu-bushi," which features the lyrics "Choina Choina," a song that originated in Kusatsu Onsen, followed by a demonstration of yumomi, and climaxes with a powerful yumomi and dance performance with a splash of hot water.
Demonstration of Yumomi
Dancing and Yumomi

Outline of "Yumomi and Dance" Show

■Opening days: Open every day throughout the year
■Schedule: 6 performances a day
9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30
■Fare: Adults 700 yen / Elementary school students 350 yen
*Only you and one accompanying person with a disability certificate get half price
*Due to maintenance or events Performances are subject to temporary closure.
*Tickets can be purchased only at the sales office 30 minutes prior to each performance.
*Reservations cannot be made.

10:30 Latest recommended spots! Stroll around the hot spring resort area

There are many fun spots in Onsen town! Here are some recommended spots from eating and walking to souvenirs.

Yamabiko Onsen Manju

Speaking of hot springs, onsen manjyu (steamed buns) are a must-try! Yamabiko Onsen Manju is a long-established manju shop located right in front of Yubatake.
Yamabiko Onsen Manju (hot spring bun)
It is characterized by its thick, moist, glutinous dough and sweet, light red bean paste. We especially recommend the "Aged Manju"! The manju is deep-fried in Yamabiko Onsen Manju's original tempura flour with black sesame and ground sesame. The outside is crispy and the inside is glutinous! The manjus were being fried right in front of our eyes. Let's walk around and enjoy the freshly made buns!
Manjuu fried in front of your eyes
Stuffed with red bean paste!

Footbath

Right in front of Yamabiko Onsen Manju is a footbath built of hinoki cypress and standing beside the hot spring field. It is a reproduction of the "Matsunoyu" public bathhouse that existed here in the Edo period. Kusatsu's hot water is high-temperature and highly acidic, so just soaking your hands or feet for a few minutes has a warming effect.
Footbath (courtesy of Kanko Gunma Photo Studio https://gunma-kanko.jp/library)

Yunokohonpo

Yunokohonpo, located near Yubatake, has a retro appearance that makes you want to take a picture. The store offers a wide variety of souvenirs, from sweets to local sake and bath salts.
Exterior view of Yunokohonpo
We recommend the "Yunokoh Series," a limited-edition product of Yunokohonpo. These include crispy handmade Kusatsu Onsen cookies made from Gunma wheat and "Yakimanju Muffins" baked with miso sauce to reproduce the taste of Yakimanju, Gunma's soul food.
Yunokoh Series
The Yaki Manju Muffin uses the sauce that the owner simmers for eight hours every day at the long-established Yaki Manju store "Tanakaya. Tokumo Brewery in Nakanojo Town also adds amazake made from rice malt for a natural sweetness. Flour and eggs are also locally produced and consumed in Gunma Prefecture.
Baked manjuu x muffin
The amazake sauce and muffins go well together...! Use the microwave for 10 seconds or the toaster for 1 minute to double the deliciousness!
Four types of bean jam: plain, koshian, sesame bean jam, and golden milk bean jam
Plenty of Koshi An (sweet red bean paste)

Nakayoshi-Do

For those who want a pop-up Kusatsu souvenir, "Nakayoshi-Do" is the place to go. It is the first store in Kusatsu Onsen that specializes in milk and offers a variety of souvenirs made from Gunma Prefecture's Jersey milk.
Inside the store
Inside the store, retro lovers will enjoy the walls of a public bathhouse with a picture of Mt!
Imagine the wall of a public bathhouse
Onsen noren (curtain)
The most popular item, the "Milk Bottle Oiri-Bororo" with an illustration of a cow that appears on the Nakayoshi-Do signboard and curtain, has a cute visual...! Not only is it a delicious bolo, but the bottle is also cute to decorate after you are done eating...!
Oiri bolo in a milk bottle
The "Onsen Duck Cookies" are not only in the package, but the cookies themselves are also in the shape of ducks! They would make a delightful gift.
Duck design package
Cookies are also duck-shaped

Gomafukudo

Gomafukudo" teaches us various ways to enjoy sesame, including sesame sweets. Many of the sweets are perfect for eating! Sweets and dressings using sesame are also sold here, so you can buy souvenirs.
Gomafukudo" exterior
Inside the store
You can enjoy sesame sweets such as gelato with a visual impact of Honkuri black sesame flavor and "Kurogomatorori," a manju (bun) with a sweet and thick sesame sauce.
Eating and walking menu
Introduced here is the "sesame sauce dango," a limited-quantity item! The dumplings are wrapped in a sweet and sour special sesame sauce and coated with sesame seeds. There are two types of dumplings: golden sesame and black sesame.
Sesame sauce dumpling set (440 yen)
I bought a set of golden sesame cubes and black sesame cubes as souvenirs! The sesame cubes are made by grinding sesame to the utmost limit, and are packed with sesame flavor and nutrients.

The golden sesame cubes are full of aromatic golden sesame. It has an elegant sweetness. The black sesame cube has a direct taste and aroma of the original black sesame.
Black sesame cubes and golden sesame cubes

11：30 Experience hot spring bathing at Atsunoyu

At Atsunoyu, where you saw the "Yumomi and Dance" show earlier, you can experience yumomi on Sundays and Mondays only. The staff member who was performing the yumomi in the show earlier will show you how to do it. The up-and-down movement is quite a good exercise!
Up-close view of the Yumomi board
A view of the Yumomi experience
After the experience, you will receive a stamp card that will be used as a certificate. If you collect 5 stamps, you will receive a commemorative gift!
Stamp card

Outline of "Yumomi Experience

■Dates
11:30-13:00 every Sunday and Monday (last entry at 12:50)
■Fee
Elementary school students and older: 300 yen (tax included)
*Temporary closure due to maintenance, events, etc.; please inquire
*Reservations are not accepted.

12：00 Nabeyaki udon lunch at Eiya Udon

Eiya Udon" is an udon shop that serves excellent nabeyaki udon and fried rice cake. The udon noodles are homemade, and they are particular about carefully selected flour and salt.
Appearance of "Eiya Udon
Once you decide on a seat, purchase a meal ticket and ask for it at the counter. This time, we will introduce the hearty "Nabeyaki Udon" and the "Aged Mochi Udon" with their signature fried rice cake! The first thing you smell when you try either of these udon noodles is the delicious smell of the broth...! The thin noodles absorb the sweet and sour broth very well.
Left: Nabeyaki Udon (udon noodles in a pot) Right: Aged Mochi Udon
The nabeyaki udon has many ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, deep-fried tofu, and eggs! The Aged Mochi Udon, as the name suggests, is filled with fried rice cake that has absorbed a lot of the broth, making it an excellent dish.
with deep-fried rice cake
Eiya Udon is also popular for its takeout menu, which includes "Aged Mochi," freshly fried rice cake topped with a special sauce of grated radish, and "Beef Croquette," a large croquette, both of which are recommended to stop by for a bite.
Take-out menu

13：00 Meet a monkey doing yumomi at Osayu

At "Osa-yu," located on the same west Kawahara Street as Eiya Udon, you can see a show of Osa-san's hot water freshening!
Exterior view of "Osa-yu" (Kusatsu Onsen Osaru no Yu Momodoro)
The Osa-no-Yu" is a hot spring bath the size of an Osaru! When the show starts, an apprentice Osaru and a master Osaru come out.
Osaru, the master of the "tsk tsk" game
They are not so different from Osaru-san in their acting skills, such as checking the level of the hot spring water and cleaning the dustcloth...! At the end of the show, they showed us a unique Kusatsu onsen experience: the "yumomi" or "hot water friction".
Osaru giving a hot spring massage
Above the hot spring bath show, there is a "kapi-yu" where capybaras, baby monkeys, rabbits, and cats are taking a bath. The capybaras, who love hot springs, were bathing comfortably in the hot water flowing out of the hot springs' mouths. It was a warming sight to see. The baby monkeys, who may appear in a show in the future, are very energetic! This is a great spot for animal lovers.
Capybara bathing in hot water
A baby monkey

Outline of "Kusatsu Onsen Osaru no Yumomiji - Osa Yu" (Kusatsu Onsen Osaru no Yumomiji - Osa Yu)


[Osa-yu/Kapi-yu set ticket] 1,000 yen (tax included) / person
[Osa-yu] Osaru no Yumomi Show 600 yen (tax included) / person
[Kapi-yu] Animal petting place 500 yen (tax included) / person
*The Osa-yu show is held every 30 minutes.
There is no children's fee. There is a flat rate for elementary school students and older.

14：00 Take a rest at "Tatamiya no Cafe Ippuku" near the bus terminal

The end of the trip is approaching. We will take a bus from the bus terminal to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station for our return trip. While waiting for the bus, you can stop by at "Tatamiya no Cafe Ippuku".
Appearance of "Tatamiya's Cafe Ippuku
It is about a 2-minute walk from the bus terminal. Tatamiya's Cafe Itsuppuku opened in April 2023 and is attached to the Mezawa Tatami mat store on the Chuo-dori shopping street. Inside the store, the wood-grain walls give a sense of warmth, and there is a small tatami room with chabudai-style seating and counter seating with tatami mats inlaid in each chair, just like a Tatami store.
Chabutai style
Counter seating with power outlets
This is unique to a Tatami café! Drinks are served on a small tatami mat. The latte comes with a muddler that resembles a Kusatsu yumomi board, giving it a full Kusatsu feel. This time, I ordered a matcha latte and a café latte. Both come with Kusatsu's specialty, hana-mame (flowering beans).

The matcha latte is made from freshly brewed matcha tea, which gives the latte a pleasant aroma that wafts into your nose.
Left: Matcha latte, Right: Cafe latte
Yumomiita muddler
The filling is dense! We tried the oyaki nikuman, which is a cross between oyaki and nikuman, and the iced monaka, which is filled with ice cream and anko (red bean paste) in the middle.

The oyaki-niku-man has a sticky dough, and when you break it open, you can feel the steam coming off the dough! The iced monaka is the size of the palm of your hand. The combination of vanilla ice cream and anko (red bean paste) is a sure thing..!
Oyaki steamed meat buns
Ice cream

14：40 Depart from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal

You will leave the bus terminal to board the "Kusatsu-Shima No. 4" departing from Naganoharakusatsuguchi Station at 15:43. If you want to buy more souvenirs, go to the souvenir shop attached to the Naganowara-Kusatsuguchi Station! Take a commemorative photo with Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Ambassador Yumomi for your last memory of Kusatsu Onsen.

The Kusatsu-Shima No. 4 train will arrive at Ueno Station at 18:09.
Commemorative photo with Yumomi

The tradition of Kusatsu Onsen has evolved so far!

From the "Yumomi and Dance" show, a staple of Kusatsu Onsen sightseeing, to the Yumomi experience and Osaru's Yumomi, we have introduced a variety of Yumomi spots. Whether you have visited Kusatsu Onsen several times or this is your first time, you are sure to enjoy yourself.

If you visit Kusatsu Onsen, let's go out to the hot spring town!
Yumomi-chan manhole near Yubatake
The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
All images are for reference only.
All prices include tax.
For train + accommodation "Gunma Area" reservations, please contact [ JR East View Dynamic Rail Package ]
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