Otaki no Yu, one of the three main higaeri onsens of Kusatsu. Included in the corresponding pass. The star of the show is 4 baths, each hotter than the last. The final bath is a challenge — your reward is respect from the old-timers. The rotenburo is simply gorgeous (on the men's side) with a stone corridor waist-deep in water. There's also a sauna and a large regular bath. The water... this is Kusatsu. The water here is magical. Right now, with the snow falling, it's absolutely magical here.
Ohtaki no Yu
大滝乃湯おおたき乃ゆ
Awase-yu bathing at one of Kusatsu's three public baths
Public Bathhouse
Day Use
Yes09:00–21:00
Day-use bathing keeps the same hours, 9:00 to 21:00; last entry is at 20:00, an hour before closing.
Bathing & Water
Natural onsen water
Uses natural hot spring water
Outdoor BathYes
Open-air outdoor bath
Indoor BathYes
Enclosed indoor bathing area
SaunaYes
Sauna room of any kind
Cold BathYes
Cold water plunge bath, typically used after sauna
Bathing Arrangements
Private BathYes
A private bath you can reserve for yourself or your group
Mixed BathingNo
Shared bathing area for all genders
Baths are gender-separated; the site's 'mixed bathing day' (混浴の日) applies only to a different facility on the same portal, 西の河原露天風呂, not to this place.
Policies & Services
TattooYes
Allows entry with visible tattoos
Unverified
DiningYes
A restaurant or dining room open to visitors, not only meals for overnight guests
TowelsYes
Towels to rent or borrow at the desk
Rest AreaYes
Relaxation space for after bathing
ParkingYes
On-site or nearby parking available
Programs
About
Ohtaki no Yu is one of Kusatsu Onsen's three public bathhouses, known together as Kusatsu san-yu (草津三湯), alongside Gozanoyu and the Sainokawara open-air bath. Its signature bath is awase-yu (合わせ湯), a row of pools that get hotter as you move along. It's an old Kusatsu method that lets the water be enjoyed at full strength: instead of diluting it with tap water, the spring cools naturally as it flows from pool to pool, and the custom is to start in the milder pool and let your body adjust before the hottest one. There's also a large indoor bath, an open-air bath with a small waterfall, a sauna and cold plunge, private baths you can book for a group, and a restaurant on site, with towels available to rent. The water comes from the Nigawa source (煮川源泉), a spring valued in Kusatsu and known locally as bijin no yu (美人の湯), meaning beauty water, for how soft it feels on the skin. Regulars say the awase-yu still feels like stepping back in time.
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Last updated September 19, 2026