Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [137]
Chūzenji-ko has the usual flotilla of sightseeing boats at the dock (prices vary). The lake (161m deep) is a fabulous shade of deep blue in good weather, with a mountainous backdrop.
* * *
TOP FIVE ONSEN
Hōshi Onsen Chōjūkan
Jinata Onsen
Takaragawa Onsen
Shuzen-ji Onsen
Yunohama Onsen
* * *
SLEEPING
Chūzenji Pension (; 0288-55-0888; fax 55-0721; www8.ocn.ne.jp/~chuzn-pn, in Japanese; s with/without meals from ¥8925/5250; ) This pink hostelry set back from the lake’s eastern shore has nine mostly Western-style rooms that feel a bit like grandma’s house. There’s a cosy fireplace, two baths and bike rental (per day ¥3000) available.
Hotel Fūga (; 0288-55-1122; fax 55-1100; www.nikko-hotelfuga.com, in Japanese; d per person incl 2 meals from ¥23,000; ) The common baths here are enormous, the building is fitted with contemporary art and hallways are lined with carpets you may want to dive into. All 30 palatial Japanese-style rooms have lake views. It’s 150m beyond Chūzenji Pension.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Buses run from Tōbu Nikkō Station to Chūzenji Onsen (¥1100, 45 minutes). It’s most economical to use a Tōbu Nikkō Bus free pass (see opposite).
Yumoto Onsen
From Chūzenji-ko, you might continue on to the quieter hot-springs resort of Yumoto Onsen by bus (¥840, 30 minutes) or reach it by a rewarding three-hour hike on the Senjōgahara Shizen-kenkyu-rō (Senjōgahara Plain Nature Trail; ).
From Chūzenji Onsen, take a Yumoto-bound bus and get off at Ryūzu-no-taki (; ¥410, 20 minutes), which is the start of the hike. The hike follows the Yu-gawa across the picturesque marshland of Senjōgahara (partially on wooden plank paths), alongside the 75m-high falls of Yu-daki () to the lake Yu-no-ko (), then around the lake to Yumoto Onsen and the bus stop to Nikkō (¥1650, 1½ hours).
Before leaving Yumoto Onsen, you might stop off for a bath at the hot-spring temple Onsen-ji (; adult/child ¥500/300; 9am-4pm late Apr-Nov), a good spot to rest hiking-weary muscles.
To hike downhill, take the bus to Yumoto and follow this route in reverse.
Return to beginning of chapter
GUNMA-KEN
The Japanese archipelago is filled with onsen, but the star in the Kanto area hot-spring firmament is Gunma-ken. Mineral baths seem to bubble out of the ground at every turn in this mountainous landscape, and some small towns feel delightfully traditional. Here’s just a small selection.
Kusatsu Onsen
0279 / pop 7000
Kusatsu has been famous for its waters since the Kamakura period and is a heavily touristed bath town. Their source is Yubatake (, ‘hot water field’) in the town centre, flowing at 5000L per minute and topped with wooden tanks from which Kusatsu’s ryokan fill their baths. A stroll here in your yukata (cotton bathrobe) is a must. Kusatsu’s waters are relatively heavy with sulphuric acid, which sounds scary until you realise that it destroys harmful microbes.
Stop in or phone the city hall tourist section (88-0001; 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri), next to the bus station (there’s an English speaker on hand).
There are plenty of onsen open to the public, including Ōtakinoyu (; 88-2600; adult/child ¥800/400; 9am-9pm), known for its tubs at a variety of temperatures; try different ones for an experience known as awase-yu (mix-and-match waters). West of town in Saino Kawara kōen is Sai-no-kawara Rotemburo (; 88-6167; adult/child ¥500/300; 7am-8pm Apr-Nov, 9am-8pm Dec-Mar), a 500-sq-metre outdoor bath that can fit 100 people. It’s a 20-minute ride (¥100) on community buses leaving the Kusatsu bus terminal. Ask for the ‘A course’ bus.
Kusatsu also offers a touristy but unique opportunity to see yumomi, in which local women stir the waters to cool them while singing folk songs. It’s next to Yubatake at the bathhouse Netsu no Yu (; 88-3613; adult/child