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Yubatake
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Yubatake is brightly lit every night
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At the heart of Kusatsu lies its main hot spring source, Yubatake - the "field of hot water." Gushing some 4,500 liters per minute, Yubatake boasts the highest output of natural thermal onsen water anywhere in Japan. Here the constantly overflowing, scalding water is naturally cooled through a chain of seven traditional wooden buckets before being sent on to the ryokan of Kusatsu.
Restaurants, pubs and souvenir shops line the area around Yubatake. They are
always abuzz with bustling crowds of people enjoying Kusatsu life.
One of the area's most popular points of interest is Yunotaki - literally, hot
spring waterfall Ð where some of the hot water flowing swiftly through the natural
cooling process descends from high above the baths in the fashion of a natural
waterfall.
At the Yutsubo spa, the blue-green water sparkles. In the winter, the temperature
differential between the water and the surrounding environment gives rise to
billowing clouds of steam that hover over the hot springs, lending an ethereal
atmosphere to the bathing experience.
The Yubatake area is a five minute walk from the bus terminal |
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Sai no Kawara Park
Countless sources provide the hot spring water throughout Sai
no Kawara Park, all along the banks of the Yukawa River. As
the water flows over and around rugged molten rocks, it collects
into a striking array of pond configurations. While the natural
scenery can best be described as stark, it nevertheless has
a rare beauty all its own. Today, Saino Kawara has been outfitted
with all the amenities that make a park beautiful in conventional
terms as well, and thus it is also a popular spot for leisurely
strolls. Nestled deeply among the rocks and trees of the Sai
no Kawara Park is its rotenburo, the main outdoor hot spring
bath. |
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