Wata No Yu Gensen Ashiyu

This small footbath sits off the main street beside a fried-chicken shop, a short walk from Yubatake. The sign is so understated that plenty of people miss it, and with room for only two or three people at a time, it's usually quiet even when the bigger footbaths nearby are busy. The water comes from the Wata no Yu (わたの湯) source, a spring outside Kusatsu's well-known six, said to be tapped by only a handful of hotels and this footbath. It runs hot, with plenty of yunohana (湯の花), the pale mineral flakes that settle out of Kusatsu's water. No towels are provided, so bring your own to dry your feet.