December 2016 - Vikingess Voyages

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Kusatsu Onsen: A visit to the Sainokawara Park & Open-Air Rotenburo Bath

3:12:00 PM
About 10 minutes walk from the Yubatake in the center of Kusatsu you can find one of Japan's largest outdoor hot springs; the Sainokawara Rotenburo (西の河原露天風呂). This outdoor hot spring bath (rotenburo) is situated in the middle of the Sainokawara Park, so a big part of experiencing the onsen is actually to stroll through the park and enjoy the nature on your way there.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

[Hotel Review] Kusatsu Onsen Nisshinkan (草津温泉日新館)

12:05:00 AM
Kusatsu Onsen Nisshinkan is a small family ryokan with only 12 rooms situated one minutes walk away from the yubatake (湯畑) in the center of Kusatsu. Nisshinkan is the oldest ryokan in Kusatsu, and was built more than 300 years ago in the Edo period. Right next to the ryokan you can find one of the 3 free public baths in Kusatsu. During my recent trip to Kusatsu I had the pleasure of spending a night at the ryokan, and below is some of my pictures and thoughts about the stay.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Kusatsu Onsen: A Guide to Kusatsu's Free Hot Springs

8:35:00 PM
The center of Kusatsu Onsen - Yubatake
Kusatsu Onsen is, as the name suggests, a hot spring resort area known for its many hot springs - onsen. Here you can find a wide range of small bathhouses open to the public. The temperature of these baths vary from almost lukewarm to boiling hot, and one of the pleasures of visiting this area is to walk around to different bathhouses and test them all. But going from bathhouse to bathhouse can be an expensive experience, as most of the bathhouses charge an entry fee of around 500 yen. There are also some bathhouses that can be entered for free but most of them are only available for Kusatsu citizens, so in this blogpost I'll introduce 3 bathhouses in Kusatsu Onsen that any visitor can enter free of charge

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Weekend in Kusatsu Onsen: A Yumomi Experience (湯もみ体験)

12:36:00 PM
Kusatsu Onsen is situated in Gunma, a prefecture to the north of Tokyo and Saitama. Kusatsu is one of Japan's most famous onsen resorts, and tourists travel from near and far to experience the healing hot springs of Kusatsu. 
The hot spring water in the center of In Kusatsu can hold up to around 90°C, which is way too hot to bathe in. When the locals were looking for a way to cool down the water without diluting it they came up with the yumomi (湯もみ) technique, a word which literarily means to rub the water. The practice is still kept alive in some places, and during a recent trip to Kusatsu we went to Netsu no Yu in the center of the village to check out their yumomi performance.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Gunma: A Snowy Weekend in Kusatsu Onsen *Video*

10:18:00 PM
Last weekend I went on a trip with friends to Kusatsu Onsen, a famous hot spring resort in Gunma prefecture. We had a great time in Kusatsu, and got to try out various cultural experiences.

I'll be back with more posts with pictures from Kusatsu but in the meantime, here is a video from our weekend trip:


*update* full blogpost from the yumomi here

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below
Anette

Basic information

  • Yumomi Experience (湯もみ体験) at Netsu no Yu (熱乃湯)
  • ・Access: Situated right by the Yubatake (hot water field) in the very center of Kusatsu
  • ・Entrance fee: 600 yen/person (550 yen if you have a coupon)
  • ・Opening Hours: ●Morning: 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 ●Afternoon: 3:30分, 4:00, 4:30(a total of 6 times a day)
  • ・Homepage: http://www.kusatsu-onsen.ne.jp/netsunoyu/ (Japanese only)


Related blogposts


Recommended Hotels in Kusatsu

Kusatsu Onsen Daitokan
Kusatsu Onsen Daitokan
★★★★
Kusatsu Onsen Nisshinkan
Kusatsu Onsen Nisshinkan
★★★  → review 
Ryokan Naraya
Ryokan Naraya
★★★★★
.
Yubatake Souan Hotel
Yubatake Souan Hotel
★★★
.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Yokohama: Christmas Market at the Red Brick Warehouse

11:21:00 PM
The Christmas season is upon us again, and even in Japan the cities are decorated for the season. In Japan Christmas is seen as a dating season more than anything else, and it is certainly a great chance to enjoy a romantic date with your love. During a recent visit to Yokohama, Japan's second largest city, my darling and I payed a visit to the Red Brick Warehouse where the German-style Christmas market helped getting us in the mood for Christmas.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Yokohama: Autumn Views at Sankeien Garden (三渓園)

5:35:00 PM
The Sankeien Garden is a traditional Japanese garden located in Yokohama's Naka Ward. The garden, which opened in 1906, was the creation of a wealthy businessman who used the space of the garden to reconstruct seventeen historical buildings brought from other cities such as Kyoto and Kamakura. Some areas of the garden are closed to the public during most of the year, but for a short period during the autumn you are permitted to enter these areas and enjoy the sight of the historical buildings here alongside with the autumn foliage.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Chiba: Winter Illumination at the Country Farm Tokyo German Village

10:14:00 PM

Just a couple of hours drive from Tokyo you can find the Tokyo German Village, an theme park that is inspired by.. You guessed it right; Germany of course. Don’t let the name of the park fool you though; this park is not really situated in Tokyo but on the Boso Peninsula, more precisely in a place called Sodegaura in Chiba. For those who didn't know, Chiba is Tokyo’s neighbouring prefecture to the east, and believe it or not this is also the prefecture where you can find Tokyo Disney Land...

About Me

Adventures ofAnette


A modern day shield-maiden who loves to explore the unbeaten paths of the world. From her base in Tokyo, Anette takes on both rural and urban challenges, and goes by the motto "No challenge too big, no adventure too small"!
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