Gunma · Kusatsu Onsen
Kusatsu Onsen Jizo-no-Yu (Public Bath)
草津温泉 地蔵の湯（共同浴場）
A free public bath in Jizo Square, about a 3-minute walk along narrow lanes from the Yubatake, the landmark of Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma. Beside it stand a small yubatake where the spring wells up and the eye-washing Jizo, said to grant relief for eye ailments; at night the footbath and mini yubatake are lit up for a dreamlike scene. The current building is a modern wooden hall rebuilt in 2006, with modest gender-separated indoor tubs that fill up at five or six bathers. Alongside Shirahata-no-Yu and Chiyo-no-Yu it is one of the three Kusatsu public baths open to visitors - said to be the hottest of the three. The water is a free-flowing sulfur-bearing aluminum sulfate-chloride spring (hydrogen sulfide type), and bathing is free. Open 8:00-22:00 year-round (occasional maintenance closures). Locals use it heavily at certain hours, so bathe courteously.
- Price (adult)
- Donation / free
- Hours
- 08:00–22:00
- Closed
- Open daily (closes for maintenance)
- Access
- 299 Kusatsu, Kusatsu-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma (postal code 377-1711), in Jizo Square. About 5 minutes on foot from the Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, 3 minutes from the Yubatake. Use nearby paid parking. Inquiries: Kusatsu Town Hot Spring Division, 0279-88-7182.
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Phone
- 0279-88-7182
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Kusatsu Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- In Jizo Square, 3 minutes from the Yubatake - a free public bath with a free-flowing sulfur spring
- Beside the eye-washing Jizo and a mini yubatake; footbath and yubatake lit up at night
- 8:00-22:00 year-round (maintenance closures); one of 3 visitor-friendly baths, said to be the hottest
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- As a communal bath there is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the shop.
- The water runs hot (43–45°C). Don't add cold water; take short repeated dips instead.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Price
Mood & scenery
✔ Verified operating: 2026-10 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Sainokawara Open-Air Bath
A 10-minute walk west of Kusatsu's Yubatake, at the far end of Sainokawara Park, lies one of Japan's largest open-air baths. Around 500 m² of pool brims with strongly acidic water, open to the surrounding forest. Snow in winter, fresh green in summer, illuminations at night. There are no washing stations — this is purely for soaking.
Otakinoyu
A large day facility where you can try Kusatsu's traditional 'awase-yu' — a row of wooden tubs at rising temperatures, entered in order. Indoor baths, rotenburo, sauna, plus rest and dining areas make it good for half a day. About 10 minutes' walk from the Yubatake, or a short bus ride. Admission ¥1,200 (2026); three-bath pass with Gozanoyu and Sainokawara ¥2,100.
Gozanoyu
Right in front of the Yubatake, a wooden recreation of the Edo–Meiji communal baths. Wood and stone bath halls alternate between men and women daily, with two sources (Yubatake and Bandaiko). The upstairs hall looks down on the Yubatake.
