Summary
This time, a 2-day/1-night trip to enjoy Kusatsu in summer 🚌.
Enjoy not only hot springs but also izakaya gourmet food and eating 🤤💖.
It is a summer trip to stay cool wearing a yukata too 🌿.
On the second day, we also tried an activity to enjoy walking in the air!
Please refer to the plan to enjoy every corner of Kusatsu in summer🎶.
*Please note that information and prices listed are subject to change.
Travel Itinerary
12:00pm Naganoharakusatsuguchi station（長野原草津口駅）
The departure point for this trip is Kusatsu Station!
Take the bus to Yubatake (🚌).
It takes about 25 minutes from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station to Yubatake!
Spot Outline
Naganoharakusatsuguchi station is located in Naganohara-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture. This station can be reached from Tokyo in about 2 hours by Shinkansen and train. There are car rental agencies near the station from which you can enjoy a road trip. You can also take a bus from this station to Yubatake. Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station is often used as a base for sightseeing, and its convenience is highly praised by word of mouth.
12:40pm Kusatsu Onsen Yubatake（草津温泉 湯畑）
Arrive at Yubatake, which is crowded with tourists!
This smell of sulfur…I feel like I’m in a hot spring resort 🎶❣️
wind chime
The cool sound of wind chimes will soothe you 🌿.
footbath
The charm of footbaths is that they are easy to enter 🌿.
Spot Outline
Kusatsu Onsen Yubatake is a hot spring source located in Kusatsu, Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture. It is synonymous with Kusatsu Onsen, with 4,000 liters of hot spring water gushing out every minute. Surrounded by restaurants and souvenir shops, the area attracts many tourists. Parking is available, but it is crowded, so it is recommended to leave plenty of time for your visit. At night, the area is lit up and offers beautiful scenery. To get a taste of Kusatsu Onsen, a visit to Yubatake is a must. Kusatsu Onsen Yubatake has different attractions by day and by night, and can be enjoyed even by solo travelers.
1:00pm Handmade soba, Meal, Sake Aoyama（手打蕎麦・食事・酒 あおやま）
First, we went to this restaurant for lunch, where you can enjoy handmade soba noodles, rice dishes, and sake made with the finest ingredients.
I ordered soba and udon this time, but next time I definitely want to try tempura too ❗️
Menu
Gunma’s Matsutake mushroom tempura and a wide variety of cold, hot and udon soba and udon noodles are on the menu🎶.
There is also a sake and local sake menu that goes well with Japanese food 🍶✨.
Yunohana Tofu (limited quantity) 500 yen
Tsuke Toro Soba 1,100 yen
We’ll have a lot of long potatoes intertwined with it 🤤.
It is a perfect match with slightly hard-boiled soba noodles!
assorted Two-color 1,300 yen
Creamy and thick sesame sauce goes well with udon noodles 💖.
The aroma of buckwheat noodles can be felt well and it is delicious~!
introspection
The spacious restaurant has counter seating for any occasion, and above all, a great atmosphere. ☺️
counter seat
Spot Outline
Handmade soba, Meal, Sake Aoyama is a handmade soba restaurant located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture. You can enjoy handmade buckwheat noodles, rice dishes, and alcoholic beverages made from carefully selected ingredients. Kusatsu is famous for its soba, so why not visit?
2:00pm Jizo Cafe Tsuki no kao（地蔵カフェ 月の貌）
Next, we went to a cafe in Ura-Kusatsu, a popular hidden spot in Kusatsu!
A cafe with a great atmosphere where you can enjoy coffee and sweets. ☕️
Open and airy with a warm woody atmosphere and a great view 🌿.
You can also bring in manga you borrowed from the attached manga hall!
Exterior
Menu
A wide variety of specialty coffees and handmade sweets 🍨.
Terrace Seat
Chamomile Citrus HOT 500yen, Firm pudding 500yen
Pudding is still hard 💖.
Hand-drip coffee 500 yen, handmade strawberry gelato 700 yen
Strawberry gelato with a dollop of condensed milk 🤤.
Fruity as if you were eating strawberries as they are!
Spot Outline
Jizo Cafe Tsuki no kao is located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture. The interior of the café has an open atmosphere with the warmth of wood. Customers can bring in manga they have borrowed from the adjoining manga hall and enjoy reading while enjoying coffee and sweets. With Jizo no Yu and other tourist spots in the vicinity, the area is attracting attention as a new sightseeing area. Word of mouth has introduced it as a hidden popular spot, and it is definitely a place to stop by when visiting Kusatsu.
4:00pm Yakushi no Yu Yumotokan（薬師の湯 湯元館）
This time, the inn is located right in front of Yubatake, with 100% free-flowing Yubatake hot-spring water!
Japanese style room will heal you 🌿.
Cute yukata dressing service is also available, so you can change into a cool yukata and take a walk in the hot spring fields 😽💖.
lobby
Calm and serene museum with antiques and other exhibits 😌.
room
Clean, spacious and nice atmosphere!
TV
I’m glad it’s big 🎶.
Glass or pot for drinks
table
View of Yubatake from the window
full-length mirror
refrigerator
Yukata and towel
amenity
Room bath
toilet
Cleansing, facial cleanser, and toner are also available.
Yukata set and dressing service 2,750 yen
You can return it until check-out the next day, so you can enjoy it even in the evening! There are so many cute patterns to choose from😽.
breakfast room
In front of you you can see hot spring fields 👀✨.
breakfast
Gorgeous Japanese breakfast 🍚 with a perfect nutritional balance
Spot Outline
Yakushi no Yu Yumotokan, located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, is a hot spring ryokan that can be used as an accommodation facility. Located right in front of Yubatake, you can enjoy 100% free-flowing hot spring water from the source. Guests can relax in a Japanese-style room and enjoy a Yubatake walk, as the ryokan also offers a cute yukata dressing service. According to reviews, the rooms and hot spring baths are very good.
6:00pm Tanisaki（たに咲）
For dinner, enjoy horse meat dishes at this izakaya (Japanese-style pub), located about a minute’s walk from Yubatake.
counter seat
tatami room
personal use vacuum flask
Menu
A wide variety of dishes using horse sashimi and Gunma maitake mushrooms are available!
We also have a sake menu to go with it 🍶.
Draft beer 660 yen, Lemon high 550 yen
Appetizer sashimi konnyaku
Delicious 🤤 with sweet and sour vinegared miso
Deep-fried octopus ¥830
Octopus is plump 👍🏻
Miso Butter with Squid and Maitake Mushroom 980 yen
Even people who don’t like maitake mushrooms can eat them.
Horse sashimi, red meat 1,740 yen
Garlic soy sauce makes the drinks go further 🍻.
Green tea high 550 yen
Seafood gratin 990 yen
Shrimp plentiful and happy 🦐💖.
Spot Outline
Located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, the spot Tanisaki is a tavern where you can enjoy horse meat dishes. This spot is located about a minute walk from Yubatake, and you can enjoy delicious horse meat dishes when you visit for dinner. Please visit this spot and enjoy the delicious horse meat dishes.
7:30pm Kikyotei（桔梗亭）
The second restaurant is this one, which is an udon and soba restaurant at lunchtime and a shish-kebab bar at night!
introspection
Red lantern izakaya-like atmosphere inside the restaurant
Local beer: Yuagari Ryoufu 840 yen, Black Nikka highball 570 yen
Easy to drink and tasty local beer!
Onsen egg 170 yen
It is a delicious dish that makes you feel like you’ve been to a hot spring!
Omakase 8 bottles 1,000 yen
Freshly fried and hot 🔥.
stewed pork and potato stew
The stewed cubes are so tender… 💖.
Menu
A wide variety of shish-kebabs, snacks, and local sake menu 😋.
Spot Outline
Kikyotei is an izakaya located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture. According to reviews, the restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes such as local sake, tempura, simmered dishes, and salads. They also offer a stroll through the illuminated hot-spring fields, and umbrellas are available for use on rainy days. Reservations are required, and word on the street is that the restaurant is almost always full.
10:00am Tenguyama Play Zone（天狗山プレイゾーン）
Start of the second day! First, we went to the ski resort of Kusatsu, which is open all season long! ⛷
signboard
Activities
A wide variety of summer sports for children and adults
BanZip
The BanZip challenge this time is to put on a harness and glide from the top of Mt.
2,200 yen per adult!
scenery
The lawn is nice in summer season 🌿.
lift
Riding the lift to the summit!
It costs 500 yen one way for adults and takes about 5 minutes to get there🎶.
View from the summit
SKY SWING
The trapeze just opened in the summer of 2022!
Adults: 600 yen per visit for about 3 minutes 👀.
It is said to be the tallest swing in Japan at 10 meters high!
Yurayura with light music and spectacular views 🍃.
Surreal, but thrilling and fun to ride ✨.
BanZip signboard
BanZip
They say that when the legs and hands are closed, the boat moves forward quickly, and when they are spread out, it slows down due to wind resistance!
Away in the blink of an eye.
Thrilling and makes me scream 😂.
Spot Outline
Tenguyama Play Zone, located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, is known as Kusatsu’s ski resort. It is open all season long, and skiing and snowboarding can be enjoyed in winter. It is located in the Aza-Shirane National Forest, Forest Unit 158, Kusatsu, Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture.
10:30am Tenguyama Terrace（天狗山テラス）
When you reach the summit, go here 😋 to enjoy our special hand-drip coffee and snacks.
Exterior
introspection
A relaxing wood-framed restaurant with views from the top of the mountain 🌿.
Menu
There is also an original menu of specialty coffees and zip docks!
Tenguyama Terrace
Take out and come to the terrace for free 🎶.
Iced tea 380 yen, Cheesecake to drink 650 yen
The sensation of eating a rich cheesecake!
Spot Outline
Tenguyama Terrace, located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, is where you can enjoy our special hand-drip coffee and light meals. On a clear day, this is a must-visit spot to enjoy the spectacular view.
12:00pm Tengu Lodge（天狗山ロッジ）
For lunch, we went to a restaurant with Wi-Fi and terrace seating, perfect for a break 🍴.
introspection
Very spacious interior!
Menu
There is a wide variety of ramen, katsudon (pork cutlet bowl), etc. 😋.
Cold chicken salt ramen (summer only) 940 yen, udon noodles with fried wild vegetables 780 yen
Udon noodles with a gentle taste of dashi broth!
Spot Outline
Tenguyama Lodge is a restaurant located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, offering Wi-Fi access and terrace seating, making it an ideal place to take a break. According to reviews, you can not only enjoy your meal, but also relax in comfortable surroundings.
1:30pm Kusatsu Onsen Yubatake（草津温泉 湯畑）
Take the free shuttle bus back to Yubatake and start exploring 🏃♀️
1:30pm Kusatsu Tamago Farm（草津たまごファーム）
First came a store that sells creative sweets using eggs from Gunma Prefecture’s local chickens!
Many products that would make great souvenirs, such as mayonnaise made from local chicken eggs and onsen tamago bolo (hot spring egg bolo), are available at ☺️
Here you can buy Kusatsu Pudding as a souvenir ❣️
Exterior
introspection
In addition to sweets, there is a full lineup of takeout sweets such as Kusatsu Pudding and soft-serve ice cream!
Spot Outline
Kusatsu Tamago Farm, located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, is the first egg confectionery specialty store in Kusatsu Onsen. Here, creative sweets using eggs from Gunma Prefecture’s local chickens are sold, including mayonnaise and onsen tamago bolo (hot spring egg bolo), both of which are made from local eggs. Located along Yubatake, the shop also offers take-out soft-serve ice cream, which is popular among locals and tourists alike.
2:00pm Terakoya Honpo（寺子屋本舗）
Next came a rice cracker shop 🍘 about a 4-minute walk from Yubatake to Nishinokawara-dori.
Exterior
introspection
Many kinds of handmade okaki (rice crackers)!
cracked rice crackers
wet rice crackers
Popular products for eating 🤤.
Sweet soy sauce 200 yen, Wasabi soy sauce 220 yen
The soft rice crackers are soaked in sweet soy sauce and delicious 😋.
Wasabi has an addictive twang to the nose🎶.
Spot Outline
Terakoya Honpo, located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, specializes in rice crackers, wet rice crackers. According to word of mouth, their hand-baked rice crackers and wet rice crackers are popular and go well with mayonnaise. They also offer free tea.
2:30pm Kusatsu Onsen Osaru no Yumomi-dokoro ~Osayu（草津温泉おさるの湯もみ処～おさ湯）
We came to a new spot in Kusatsu where you can see a monkey yumomi show on the first floor and interact with animals on the second floor.
signboard
Exterior
Show Time Schedule
Schedule of Charges
Special deals on set tickets for viewing and touching the yumomi (hot spring)!
Yumomi show
Cute monkeys in yukata 💕
I enjoyed the perfect comic timing 😂.
The monkey who is a master of the hot water bath 🐵.
Monkey Name
capybara
Moggly, quiet and good boy ☺️
Newly born baby
Cuddle Experience
Spot Outline
Kusatsu Onsen Osaru no Yumomidokoro is an Osaru theme park located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, where you can enjoy a monkey hot spring show on the first floor and interact with animals on the second floor. The admission fee to Osa-yu is 600 yen. Admission to Osa-yu is 600 yen (including tax) and to Kapi-yu is 500 yen (including tax), and a common ticket is also available.
3:00pm Yuagari Karinto（湯あがりかりんと）
Lastly, we came to a souvenir shop that offers a wide variety of 28 different flavors of karinto!
Exterior
introspection
The Japanese patterned karinto package is cute and makes a great souvenir ✨.
This is the only way to eat!
Yuagari cheese tart 324 yen
Banana-flavored cheese tart🍌 available only here.
It’s too good to eat because it has the face of a monkey 🥺.
Spot Outline
Yuagari Karinto is a store in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, that sells a variety of karinto. The shop has a reputation for having unusual karinto that make great souvenirs, and has a wide variety of 28 different flavors to choose from. The bags are cute and the various flavors are perfect for souvenirs for friends and relatives. You can also sample the food so you can find the karinto you like best. If you are looking for stylish karinto, this is a good spot to visit.
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