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Kusatsu Images 13 images Created 7 Dec 2009

The quality of Kusatsu Onsen's water has been widely recognized in Japan since ancient times. It has been called one of Japan's top three locations for hot spring water. The traditional Kusatsu folk song praises it as able to "cure everything but love sickness". The village is almost wholly devoted to hot springs and spas. There is even a hot water ceremony called Yumomi where women stir the waters so as to be ready for bathing.
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  • Kusatsu is the largest natural hot springs in Japan with more than a hundred springs gushing from the Earth which produce, altogether, more than 36,000 litres per minute.  This abundance can be seen in the Yubatake the hot spring fields in the centre of town.  Kusatsu's long history as a flourishing spa town is a well-known resort for recovering from illness or surgery.
    yubatake-2.jpg
  • The Kusatsu tradition of yumomi or "water massage" is used to cool off the area's scalding waters, rather than dilute it with cold, the hot water is stirred with wooden paddles and cooled by the mountain air.  To pass the time during the water massaging, the girls sing Kusatsu Bushi an old folk song famous throughout Japan.
    yumomi-2.jpg
  • Onsen Eggs -  Onsen tomago are cooked in hot springs. Since the eggs are slowly cooked in hot water of about 70-75 Celsius (158-167 Fahrenheit), the egg whites are soft and egg yolks are slightly hardened. Onsen tamago is sometimes  served as part of a  Japanese style breakfast in hot springs towns such as Kusatsu.  Otherwise they are local snacks and a "must" for many Japanese who visit these towns.
    onsen-eggs-3.jpg
  • Torii in Snow - A torii is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entry to a Shinto shrine.  The basic structure of a torii is two columns that are topped with a horizontal rail. Slightly below the top rail is a second horizontal rail. Torii are traditionally made from wood and are usually painted vermilion red.
    torii-snow.jpg
  • Foot baths are all the rage in Japan, often in front of railway stations in hot spring towns such as Kusatsu,  to give tired travelers a rest from their arduous sightseeing schedules.
    japanese-foot-bath-1.jpg
  • Stone lantern at Yubatake - Kusatsu is one of the largest natural hot springs in Japan with abundant supplies of naturally hot spring water gushing from its sources.   Kusatsu's is a well known spa for recovering from surgery and illnesses.
    yubatake-1.jpg
  • Sai-no-Kawara Park at Kusatsu - the largest natural hot springs source in Japan with more than a hundred springs gushing from the Earth which produce all totaled, more than 36,000 litres per minute.  This abundance can be seen at Sai-No-Kawara park which bubbles with hot spring activity.
    Sai-No-Kawara-2.jpg
  • Japanese Pickles - Tsukemono are Japanese pickles. They are served  as a side dish, and sometimes with drinks as a snack. The most common kinds are pickled in salt or brine.  Soy sauce, miso, vinegar, and sake lees are also useful for pickling. Takuan, daikon, turnips, cucumber, and cabbage are among the favorites to be eaten as an accompaniment to a meal.
    tsukemono.jpg
  • Weathered Japanese signboards at Kusatsu advertising local specialties, such as Japanese pickles or tsukemono.
    japanese-signs.jpg
  • Jizo in Snow - "Jizo" images and statues are popular in Japan as Bodhisattva who console beings awaiting rebirth and travelers. As such they are often found along roadsides, paths or even street corners.
    jizo-14.jpg
  • Onsen Yukata - Yukata is a Japanese  robe. People wearing yukata are a common sight at onsen towns such as Kusatsu and frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns. Though their use is not limited to after bath wear, yukata literally means "bath clothes".
    Sai-No-Kawara-1.jpg
  • Sai-No-Kawara Onsen - Kusatsu visitors like to take the waters and soak in the town's hot spring baths such as at Sai No Kawara, which has an outdoor bath or rotemburo.
    rotemburo-17.jpg
  • Chozubachi with Hot Mineral Water - Kusatsu Water is considered purifying in Japan, notice the emphasis on cleanliness in everyday life.   Tsukubai are usually of stone, and are often provided with a small scoop, laid across the top, ready for use. Hot mineral water bubbles throughout Kusatsu, as at this water basin.
    tsukubai-22.jpg