Hello everyone, today I would like to share my experience as information for everyone who loves to soak in Onsen. One of the purposes of many people's trip to Japan is to visit an Onsen. I myself am one of them. Every time I go to Japan, I must have a trip to soak in Onsen. On my latest trip on April 13, 2015, I had the opportunity to plan a trip to soak in Onsen at Kusatsu Onsen, which is ranked as one of the top 3 most famous Onsen in Japan and has the largest amount of natural mineral water in the country (more than 32,300 liters per minute). The mineral water is acidic, with a temperature at the source of 51-94 degrees Celsius. It has excellent healing and antiseptic properties. The symbol that people remember when they mention this Onsen is the 'Yubatake', a large mineral water channel with white steam rising and covering the entire area (*information from the book 'Onsen', which I bought to find Onsen). This trip to Japan was another memorable one, so I would like to share this information with you all.

The hotel I stayed at this time was Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel. I booked the hotel through Booking.com. During the booking period, I got a special price. It was a package deal: accommodation price + bus fare (from Shinjuku to the hotel where we stayed) + dinner (buffet) + breakfast (buffet) on the morning of April 13, 2015. Madamkim came to wait for the bus in front of the Shinjuku Center Building. The picture shows the front of the building.

The Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel has designated a meeting point for guests arriving at 9:45 AM. This image depicts the designated bus parking area.

The journey takes approximately 3 hours. During the trip, there will be two rest stops where you can use the restroom or buy snacks.

After a 3-hour journey, I finally arrived at Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel. To my surprise, it was snowing! It was so romantic.

Normally, check-in at Japanese hotels is around 2 pm. However, this time I was lucky and was able to check in as soon as I arrived. Here are some pictures of the room. This time, I chose a regular room instead of a Japanese-style room.

A yukata is prepared, ready to be worn. Sitting by the window, watching the snow fall, I truly love this kind of atmosphere.

There are snacks available, and I must say, they are delicious.

Upon arrival, head straight to the onsen pool without delay. This photo shows the path leading to the onsen pool.

This photo depicts an indoor onsen soaking pool.

Besides the indoor area, there is also a small outdoor area for soaking. It was snowing while we were soaking, and the atmosphere was amazing.

After soaking, my skin feels incredibly soft. No wonder it's ranked among the top 3.

After soaking in the onsen, it's time to visit Yubatake. The hotel offers a free shuttle service. When you check in, the staff will give you a timetable. The timetable looks like this. You only need to look at the first column, which shows the time the shuttle leaves the hotel. The third column shows the time the shuttle will pick you up from the hotel.

The shuttle bus looks like this. This picture is from the hotel's website http://www.kusatsu-now.co.jp/index.php. Madamkim forgot to take a picture of the bus.

The journey to the Yubstake viewpoint takes approximately 5 minutes by car. This photo was taken at night.

Due to strong winds and heavy smoke, I was only able to capture one photo. I will have to return and take more photos in the morning.

This is a photo taken in the morning.

Green water, constantly emitting smoke.

The area surrounding Yubstake offers a variety of amenities for visitors, including souvenir shops, restaurants, a shrine for worship, and free footbaths.

The highlight souvenir is the Shinshu Apple Kit Kat, which uses the famous apple fruit of Nagano Prefecture as an ingredient. It is only available in Nagano Prefecture and has a strong apple aroma. It is very delicious.

"This time, due to the packed itinerary, I could only stay here for one night before having to leave. It's a shame! On the way back, I took the hotel's bus again, departing at 3 pm. The staff waved goodbye, which was very sweet."

The hotel's shuttle service dropped us off at the Shinjuku Center Building as usual. This trip was truly worthwhile. The rooms were beautiful, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious (apologies for not having any pictures of the food, I was too busy eating to remember to take any! But let me tell you, the dinner included king crab). The onsen (hot spring) was incredible, needless to say. My skin felt so soft and moisturized afterwards. It was the perfect way to recharge and rejuvenate.