Kusatsu: Hot Spring Culture Walk at Yubatake & Sainokawara

Yubatake is the symbolic heart of Kusatsu Onsen, where steaming hot spring water flows openly through the center of town. Rather than being hidden underground, the water is intentionally displayed, showing how closely daily life in Kusatsu is connected to its hot springs. Minerals naturally cool as the water flows across wooden channels, creating the iconic scenery of rising steam and flowing water. Yubatake represents the idea that hot springs in Japan are not only for bathing, but a shared resource that shapes the town, its rhythm, and its culture.

Netsu-no-Yu is a historic bathhouse known for its traditional yumomi performance, a unique method developed in Kusatsu to cool extremely hot spring water without adding cold water. Using large wooden paddles, performers stir the water while singing folk songs, demonstrating how local people adapted to the natural conditions of the hot springs. Watching yumomi offers insight into Kusatsu’s hot spring culture, where practical knowledge, music, and community traditions come together. The performance highlights that hot spring culture is as much about people and custom as it is about the water itself.

Sainokawara Park is a wide open area where hot spring water naturally flows through rocks, streams, and pools, surrounded by forested hills. This landscape reflects the original image of Kusatsu as a place of healing, where visitors once stayed for extended periods to rest and recover in nature. Even without entering the baths, the sound of flowing water, rising steam, and warmth in the air convey why people have long been drawn to this area. The park offers a quiet contrast to the town center and helps visitors understand the deeper meaning of hot springs as part of a slow and restorative way of life.