Kusatsu Hot Spring

Kusatsu Onsen is a centuries-old hot spring resort town with the most flowing water of any hot springs in Japan. The yubatake hot spring field (pictured) is the heart of the town and shows the process of cooling the water from volcanic, near-boiling temperatures to more suitable temperatures for the baths. Anastasha and I visited both the Sainokawara open air baths and Ohtaki no Yu public baths.

To get to Kusatsu, we drove Japan’s National Route 292 past Shiga Kogen and to the highest point of Japan’s national highway system (el. 2,172 m). On the descent, we drove around Mount Kusatsu-Shimane, an active stratovolcano with three crater lakes. But because of high levels of volcanic gas, there was no stopping near the summit for sightseeing.Read more