Kusatsu: Walk the Yubatake, Then Soak Once

Start with one loop of the Yubatake

Watch the water running through the wooden troughs and the steam rising, from the walkway around it. The Yubatake is something you look at, not a bath you can get into. Walking one loop first is what tells you which side street to head down next.

If you are staying the night, come back after dark. Steam under the lights is a different thing from steam in daylight. That said, do not assume early morning or late evening means an empty square. Watch where people are walking, and take photos from a spot where you can stand still.Town map and visitor information

At Netsunoyu, watch the yumomi or do it yourself

At Netsunoyu, beside the Yubatake, you can watch yumomi — stirring the hot water with long wooden boards — performed with singing and dancing. Admission is 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for elementary school children. There are 6 performances a day, 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, and the start times shift in winter.Yumomi show information

Reservations are not accepted. Tickets go on sale at the window 30 minutes before each performance. Payment is cash or PayPay only; credit cards are not accepted. Decide which performance you want first, then put your walk and your meal either side of it, and the day holds together.

If you want to handle a board yourself, the hands-on session is separate: Sundays and Mondays, 11:30 to 13:00, last entry 12:50, 300 yen for elementary school age and up. That one cannot be reserved either. A show ticket does not include it, so go on a day of the week that works.Yumomi hands-on session

Choose among the three baths by what they have

If you want to bathe right by the Yubatake, that is Gozanoyu. 900 yen for adults, 450 yen for children. Open 7:00 to 21:00 from April 1 to November 30, and 8:00 to 21:00 from December 1 to March 31, with last entry at 20:30. The large tatami room where you can sit afterwards, Yugennoma, closes at 20:00 and opens at 9:00, so go in early if you want to linger.Gozanoyu visitor information

If you want a choice of tubs, that is Otakinoyu. 1,200 yen for adults, 600 yen for children, 9:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:00. Its awaseyu baths get hotter tub by tub from the first one, so you start in the cooler water and let your body adjust. The restaurant inside closes earlier than the baths — 11:00 to 16:00 on weekdays, 11:00 to 19:30 on weekends and holidays — so eat first if you plan to eat there.Otakinoyu visitor information

If you want the view, that is the Sainokawara open-air bath. 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for children. Open 7:00 to 20:00 from April 1 to November 30, and 9:00 to 20:00 from December 1 to March 31, with last entry at 19:30.Sainokawara visitor information

Be aware that Sainokawara is an open-air bath and nothing else: no washing stations, no hairdryers, no rental towels. Towels are sold for 380 yen. If you want to wash your hair before heading out, Gozanoyu or Otakinoyu suits you better.Facilities and towel FAQ

Treat Sainokawara Park and the bath as two decisions

Walking west from the Yubatake takes you through the souvenir street and out into Sainokawara Park, where hot water runs down the riverbed. The walk is worth it on its own, and whether you go into the paid open-air bath at the far end is a separate call. On a day when someone with you is not bathing, this is the easy way to plan it.

If the bath is part of the plan, check the day of the week. On the second Wednesday of each month it closes at 17:00 for tub cleaning, with last entry at 16:30. Some months keep normal hours instead, so if you are heading over in the late afternoon, read the notices first.Notices on changed hours

Leave slack for a meal and the bus home

Pick one steamed bun, sit down with a cup of tea. That leaves more of Kusatsu with you than working through a list of shops. If dinner is at your inn, check what time it starts; if you are eating out, check closing days and last orders before you go.

On a day trip, build the day around the Yubatake, the yumomi, and one soak, then head for the bus. Staying over, do not cram the afternoon — split the walking between the evening and the next morning. This is a rough shape, not a timetable with crowds and waiting built in. For the trip out from Tokyo, see getting to Kusatsu.