Kusatsu (草津町; Kusatsu-machi) is a small town in Agatsuma District in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Kusatsu is situated about 1200 meters above sea level. The active volcano Mount Shirane (2160 m high) and the inactive Mount Tengu (1385 m high) and Mount Motoshirane (2171 m high) are located west of Kusatsu.

Kusatsu is one of the most popular hot springs resorts in Japan and regularly achieves high rankings in Japan-wide surveys.

There are about 100 Onsen in Kusatsu with a total amount of about 34,000 liters water per minute pouring out of the ground. The water is sulfurous and acid. The hot springs are said to help cure the following ailments: arthralgia, stiff shoulders, paralysis, hardenings, bruises, sprains, chronic indigestion, hemorrhoids, chills, arteriosclerosis, burns, chronic gynecological disorders.

The water from the Onsen is used not only for bathing but also for heating of the city's primary and secondary schools, the municipal welfare center, the streets during winter and many households, as well as for the municipal swimming pool.

Contents 1 Sights and events 1.1 Yubatake 1.2 Netsu no yu 1.3 The Bälz museum 1.4 Onsen 1.5 Flowers 1.6 Festivals and events 1.7 Souvenirs 1.8 Lakes and waterfalls 1.9 The ski area

Sights and events

Yubatake

The Yubatake, one of the biggest hot springs and the main attraction of the town, is located in the center of Kusatsu. The spring water pours out of the rock and is then conducted through several rows of wooden boxes. In those wooden boxes (湯の花; Yu no hana) one of Kusatsu's specialties is cultivated. The word Yubatake accordingly means "hot water field." Around the Yubatake there are 100 name plates of famous persons that visited Kusatsu. On the lower part of the Yubatake there is a small cascade and the rock has an emerald shade. This is one of the most popular spots for souvenir pictures.

Netsu no yu

The (熱の湯; Netsu no yu, lit. "hot water"), though located adjacent to the Yubatake, is a hot spring in its own right. The water is about 54 degrees, so, naturally, it is not possible to bathe in it. For that reason there is the ancient tradition of (湯もみ; Yumomi), which means kneading or bashing the water. Using 1.80 meter long wooden boards the hot water is stirred, bashed, kneaded and thus cooled down. The simpler method of pouring in cold water is not practiced as it would dilute the healing power of the water. During the Yumomi ceremony, the Kusatsu song is sung and Japanese traditional dance is performed.

The Bälz museum

The Bälz museum is another of Kusatsu's attractions. Located at the entrance to Kusatsu, visitors can inform themselves about the life and work of Erwin Bälz. There is also a souvenir shop with goods mostly from Germany and the Czech republic.

Onsen

There are more than 100 onsen in Kusatsu. The biggest and most popular are:

• Ōtaki no yu (大滝の湯; lit. "great waterfall hot spring") is named after spring water forming a waterfall. The building itself is made from wood and there is one basin on the inside and one on the outside (Rotenburo). The service in this Onsen is very extensive: there are massage chairs, footbaths, relaxation rooms and more.

• Sai no kawara (西の河原; lit. "western riverbed") is an outside basin of approximately 500 ㎡, which can be used by more than 100 guests at once. There are separate baths for men and women divided by a wooden fence. Located in a valley overflowing with hot springs it is one of the most beautiful Rotenburo of Japan.

• The Bälz Onsen Center, situated on a plateau near Mount Tengu ski area, offers great scenery with lots of nature all around. It is a popular Après-ski recreation spot.

Flowers

Another of Kusatsu's attractions are the mountain flowers growing in and around the city. The most famous are:

• Watasuge (Eriophorum Vaginatum, Hare's tail cotton grass)
• Zazensō (Simplocarpus foetidus, Skunk cabbage)
• Azumashakunage (Rhododendron Metternichii var. Japonica, a kind of Rhododendron)
• Hakusanshakunage (Rhododendron brachycarpum, a kind of Rhododendron)
• Rengetsutsuji (Rhododendron molle subsp. Japonicum, a kind of Azalea)
• Yanagiran (Epilobium angustifolium, Rosebay Willowherb)
• Nanakamado (Sorbus commixta, Japanese Rowan)
• Ezorindō (Gentiana triflora var. Japonica, blue Gentian)
• Komakusa (Dicentra peregrina, a kind of Magnolia)

Festivals and events

During the year there are a number of traditional festivals as well as a number of other events happening in Kusatsu.

• One of the most important festivals is the summer Music Academy, which attracts famous musicians from all over Japan and even from abroad. The Japanese empress also visits the Music academy every year.

• The Kōsenji flower festival (光泉寺花祭り; Kōsenji hanamatsuri) on the 7th and 8th of May is a much more traditional festival. The children of the kindergarten near Kōsenji pull an elephant made of paper around the Yubatake in celebration of Buddha's birthday.

• The Ice-cave festival (氷室の節句; Himuro no Sekku) happens on the first of June. Ice is brought from a cave in Mt.Shirane, which was formed by an eruption of the volcano, and then is used to make tea. According to the legend, anyone who drinks this special tea will not get ill in the following year.

• During the first three days of August the Onsen gratitude festival (温泉感謝祭り; Onsen kansha matsuri) takes place. This traditional festival has its origins in the Ushiyu matsuri (丑湯祭り), which in accordance with the Chinese calendar is celebrated during the hottest time of the year on the day of the ox. According to the lore, those that bathe in an onsen in the hour of the ox (one to three AM) will not get ill for one year. In contrast, today's ceremony is totally different: the goddess of onsen descends the stairs at Kōsenji symbolizing the descent from heaven. She then gathers water from seven big hot springs in Kusatsu and distributes the water to the baths in Kusatsu. On the third day she ascends the stairs to Kōsenji, representing the ascent to heaven. Through this ceremony the blessing of the gods is granted, which will make sure that the springs won't run dry.

• In addition, the following events take place in Kusatsu:

• Tour de Kusatsu (amateur bicycle race)
• Yuki no kairō walking (雪の回廊ウォーキング), hiking through a valley of snow walls several meters high
• Soccer and skiing events

Souvenirs

• Yu no hana, which means "hot water flower," is extracted from the hot water at the Yubatake and consists of mineral sediment (mostly sulfur) which, dried, is sold as powder by the town. Using Yu no hana, guests can experience onsen at home.

• Amanattō (甘納豆) is a kind of sweet made of a special sort of highland beans, which doesn't bear any fruit below 700 meters above sea level. First the beans are dried, then put into water and finally they are cooked in sugar. The details of the making process are a company secret.

• Manjū is a well-known sweet in Japan, consisting of a pastry crust made of flour, rice flour and buckwheat and a filling made of Azuki bean paste. In Onsen resorts manjū were often steamed using the steam rising from the hot springs.

Lakes and waterfalls

There are a number of impressive waterfalls and beautiful crater lakes. The most famous ones are:

• Yugama (湯釜) located 2100 meters above sea level is the crater lake of Mount Shirane. It boasts a very high acidity and an emerald-green surface.
• Yumiike (弓池;lit. "bow lake"), 2000 meters above sea level is located between Mount Shirane and Mount Motoshirane. Its water is crystal clear.
• The Ōsen no taki (嫗仙の滝) and the Jōfu no taki (常布の滝) are waterfalls near Kusatsu.

The ski area

The Kusatsu international ski area (草津国際スキー場;Kusatsu kokusai sukijō) on Mount Tengu and Mount Shirane is over 90 years old and besides the Onsen one of the main attractions of Kusatsu. The ski area extends from 2100 meters above sea level down to 1300 meters above sea level. The snow quality is very good and there are ten different routes for all difficulty levels as well as twelve lifts. The longest route is eight kilometers long.