Exploring Japanese Landmarks in Nishiki-e and Photographs

Kusatsu Onsen

A hot spring located in Kusatsu-cho, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma. It has the largest natural flow in Japan and is considered one of the three greatest hot springs in Japan. It is said that MINAMOTO no Yoritomo bathed there in the Kamakura period. In the Edo period, it became popular among the general public as a therapeutic hot spring spot, and since then it has become known inside and outside Japan as a recreational area. It is famous for its unique bathing methods, such as "traditional bathing" (or "jikan-yu") and "yumomi" (stirring the bathwater).