Kusatsu Ryokan Experience ♨️ | Visiting Matsumoto and Kusatsu Onsen Town

Kusatsu Ryokan Experience ♨️ | Visiting Matsumoto and Kusatsu Onsen Town

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the next part of this Japan travel series Today we’re diving into the heart of central Japan exploring Matsumoto City before journeying to the enchanting onsen town of Kusatsu, nestled high in the mountains for a traditional ryokan experience

Join us as we uncover some amazing places in this region of Japan We are starting off our journey at our accommodation in Matsumoto with one of the best Japanese breakfast spreads we’ve had on this trip I’ll be sharing more about this unique hotel experience later in the video so do stay tuned

Matsumoto is the second largest city of Japan’s Nagano prefecture It is surrounded by breathtaking Japanese mountain ranges and is home to one of Japan’s few historic castles On the way to the castle we passed by Nawate Street, famously known as the Frog Street This place had a wide range of shops offering everything

From delectable snacks to unique souvenir items It is also home to the Yohashira shrine It is said that in the past this area was home to many Kajika frogs Their calls were an integral part of local’s lives back then and comprised a huge part of the street’s atmosphere

However a typhoon caused the nearby Metoba River to overflow and flood the surrounding area causing most of the frogs to hop away from the area and never return but the locals were determined to recapture the spirit of the old days and decided to incorporate a frog theme to the area

The historic Matsumoto Castle was one of the main reasons why we wanted to come here As one of Japan ‘s oldest surviving castles, it holds a special place in the country’s history and its interiors remain beautifully preserved It is also designated as one of Japan’s National Treasures

We purchased tickets to explore the inside of the castle Matsumoto Castle is more than 400 years old and up close, you could truly appreciate the craftsmanship and planning that went into its construction and how old building techniques like these still stand strong against the test of time

We were in search of a lunch spot when we stumbled upon this cafe It had a whimsical retro flair and had apparently been around since 1957 We decided to try the specialty drip coffees of the Panama and Geisha blends We also ordered the cafe au lait, which had a pretty fascinating presentation technique

The sandwiches here were great and the coffee had such a unique flavor If you plan to visit, do expect a slightly longer wait as it could get pretty crowded during peak hours however I think it’s really worth the wait The hike from the previous day had worn us out,

So we decided to take it easy and spend the rest of the day exploring the city Matsumoto is a common starting point for day trips to Kamikochi, a spectacularly scenic valley within the northern Japan Alps However do note that they close the area during the winter

From here you can also visit Narai-juku, a former post town of the Edo period It is also worth making a trip to the nearby Daio Wasabi Farm In hindsight, one of our mistakes was that we should have planned a longer stay

In Matsumoto so that we could fully immerse ourselves in some of the nearby attractions This hotel was one of the more unique stays for this trip It was sort of like a mix between a modern hotel and traditional Japanese ryokan

The entire hotel was covered in tatami so it was necessary for guests to walk around without shoes They had a hot spring bath at the top floor and even provided complimentary desserts and if you’re in the mood for supper you could head downstairs for a freshly prepared bowl of noodles

We spent around $140 SGD a night for this hotel and we would highly recommend it if you are seeking a budget friendly and traditional Japanese experience The next day we began our journey to Kusatsu Onsen To get there we first had to get to Takasaki station via the Hokuriku Shinkansen

Next we boarded the Kusatsu-shima train bound for Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi station before catching a JR (Japan Rail) bus which took us directly to the Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal The star attraction of Kusatsu Onsen is the Yubatake – also known as the hot water field

It is the town’s iconic symbol and it is also the largest source of hot spring water for Kusatsu, producing around 5,000 L of water every minute The water that emerges is scalding hot but rich in minerals and carries a distinct sulphur smell The water is cooled through a series of wooden

Channels before being used used in various public baths and ryokans Over time a yellow residue known as Yunohana or “hot water flowers” builds up inside these channels This method allows for the residue to be harvested and sold as bath salts and it also serves a crucial role of preventing heavy minerals from

Clogging the pipes of nearby facilities that rely on this constant flow of water Bathing in Kusatsu’s natural spring water is believed to offer numerous health benefits Before checking into our ryokan we had to catch the Yumomi performance Yumomi is a unique ceremony aimed at cooling down the hot spring water

It involves the singing of traditional folk songs while using wooden pedals to gently and sometimes violently stir the hot spring We will be staying in Tokinoniwa, a traditional Japanese ryokan Like most ryokan experiences, both dinner and breakfast were included For dinner, we were served a multi-course Kaiseki meal consisting of fresh seafood

And a choice (of main course) between Shabu Shabu or barbecue This dining experience is undeniably the highlight of any ryokan stay and each dish was not only delicious but also meticulously prepared This ryokan also had outdoor baths filled with natural spring water which you could reserve for private use

There’s a unique unque tranquility that accompanies soaking in an onsen at night especially in the cold outdoors Thank you so much for joining us on this journey and stay tuned for the final part of this Japan travel series

Hi everyone!

I went on a 2 week trip to Japan over the winter break with my family. In this vlog, we take a trip down to Matsumoto, home to one of Japan’s national treasures – Matsumoto-jo Castle. The highlight of our trip was our stay in Kusatsu Onsen, an town famed for its hot springs. We spent the night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. This video is a summary of our experiences!

For the best experience, view in 4K with CC turned on

Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max + Sony A7iii
Voiceovers on Audio Technica AT2020

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:10 Nawate Street
1:53 Matsumoto-jo Castle
2:31 Retro cafe in Matsumoto
3:24 What to do in Matsumoto
3:55 Our accommodation in Matsumoto
4:46 Getting to Kusatsu
5:28 About Kusatsu Onsen
6:32 Yumomi Performance
6:58 Ryokan Stay
9:15 Off to Hiroshima

#matsumoto
#kusatsu
#winter
#japanvlog
#japantravel
#onsen
#ryokan
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Music in this video 🎵

Waiting – Massobeats
– Provided by @massobeats
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2t0RPT5F5I

*I do not own or create any of the above listed tracks – all credit goes to their original artists.
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Kusatsu Ryokan Experience ♨️ | Visiting Matsumoto and Kusatsu Onsen Town

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