Sainokawara Park — Attraction in Kusatsu

Recharge at Kusatsu Onsen!

Having spent a day in the great outdoors, it is time to relax in one of Kusatsu’s natural hot spring baths, commonly known as onsen.

Bathing has been a major part of Japanese culture since antiquity, and Kusatsu Onsen’s baths are a fantastic chance to dip your toe (and more!) into this essentially Japanese cultural experience. Do not just take our word for it either—Japan’s major travel agents have voted Kusatsu Onsen the number-one onsen in Japan for over sixteen years in a row.

The bountiful waters drawn directly from the Yubatake hot spring fields naturally contain acid, sulfur-containing aluminum sulphate, and chloride, with pH values between 1.7 and 2.1, and temperatures varying between 51 and 94 degrees Celsius. An iron nail placed in the hot spring would be reduced to rust in just nine days. But do not worry, the centuries-old yumomi method of cooling the water makes it perfectly safe for everyone to enjoy, and the accompanying ceremony is now a local attraction, with regular demonstrations enlivened by folk songs.

The rich mineral content of Kusatsu’s waters have become known for their metabolism-boosting effects and as a natural way to promote more beautiful skin. The hot springs are also said to be beneficial for a variety of conditions, including muscle pain, bruises and sprains, fatigue recovery and more. Said to cure basically everything except lovesickness, you are bathing in good company—even the leaders of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period (1603–1867) ordered barrels of hot spring water to be delivered...

A 10-minute walk along a winding path from the center of Kusatsu, you’ll find beautiful Sai-no-Kawara Park. The park stands on a rugged rocky riverbed, with a gurgling stream running through lush forested uplands like an ancient scar. Steaming, mineral-rich hot springs burn along the banks of Sai-no-Kawara, forming a unique dry landscape that flows all the way down to the park and into the many hot spring baths.

Sai-no-Kawara Park stretches along the riverbed for about a quarter of a mile, and the connection between Jizo and the park lies in the park’s name: Sai-no-Kawara means “riverbed in the west,” which is a homonym of “riverbed of the underworld” in Japanese. Whenever a child dies young, their young souls gather on the banks of a river called Sai-no-Kawara, and the kind-hearted Jizo comes to comfort and protect them. Gazing at the steamy riverbed and the warm springs gushing out of the ground, the tale of horror and strangeness doesn’t seem so strange.

The warm natural spring waters of Sai-no-Kawara not only have physical health benefits, but also mental and spiritual benefits. In addition, the trail down Sai-no-Kawara is considered a very important pilgrimage route by the locals. For all visitors who are not lucky enough to live in the suburbs of Japan, this steaming, quarter-mile-long riverbed is a magical and...

• TATTOO FRIENDLY * The #1 rated onsen experience in Japan for 18 consecutive years. Walking up to it was also quite enjoyable as the area is lit with colours, and you can bathe your feet at some benches along the way. The smell barely exists here. The actual paid bathing area is at the top, so just follow the path. We went mid October, weather was pleasant but I wouldn't want to go in the heat. After dusk there were never more than a dozen people in the water at any time.

If you don't bring your own towel, you can buy one here for 1700 yen, and entry is also 800 yen. Surprisingly as foreigners, we were allowed in and our various tattoos were no issues, however we had a local with us to politely ask first.

The onsen is divided by gender and you're expected to be completely nude, however you can bring a modesty towel if you're shy. There are coin operated lockers before the change rooms to store your valuables. Strip off in the change rooms after that, with spaces to leave your clothes, and rinse off right before you enter the water. It's quite hot, felt around 42 degrees, and was even hotter the closer you got...