Kusatsu Onsen, nestled in the mountains of Gunma in central Japan, is one of the country’s most iconic onsen towns. Travelers to Kusatsu Onsen come to soak in the famous hot springs, or onsen, waters that are naturally occurring here. Visitors also often stay at the many incredible onsen ryokan and hotels in Kusatsu.
Staying overnight at a Kusatsu Onsen ryokan with a private onsen in-room lets visitors experience Kusatsu onsen waters in utmost luxury and relax in solidarity instead of in a communal onsen. In onsen in Japan people are traditionally, and still today, required to bathe in the nude.
As the name suggests, Kusatsu Onsen is famous for its onsen waters. It is also known for the cultural practice of Yumomi, where onsen workers splash hot onsen waters into the air with long wooden paddles to cool it down. In the middle of the village, open-air onsen waters flow over rocks and through exposed pipes, showing how clear and hot the waters are here.
Because Kusatsu Onsen is isolated in the mountains (about 3-4 hours away from Tokyo) I highly recommend staying overnight here to enjoy the onsen village to its fullest. As any onsen town, Kusatsu is filled with large onsen hotels and ryokan (traditional Japanese inns known for world-class hospitality). These Kustatsu Onsen ryokan with private onsen were hand-picked and are highly recommended to make your stay in Kusatsu an unforgettable one!
This article is my latest in my series of hotels and ryokan with private onsen. If you love the idea of a private, en-suite onsen and are visiting any of these other towns, give them a search for cost and availability too!
Kusatsu Onsen Ryokan with Private Onsen
The following list of Kusatsu onsen ryokan and hotels with private onsen are ordered by price at the time of writing (from lowest to highest). Be sure to check out both ends of the spectrum to make sure you get the best experience possible at Kusatsu!
Confirm the latest prices and availability using the links provided for Booking.com.
1. Kusatsu Onsen Eidaya
Family Room with private hot spring bath or Twin room with private semi open-air bath – $285 USD per night for two people, breakfast and dinner included.
Showakan Villa with hot spring bath – $265 USD per night for up to six people, no food options included.
Kusatsu Onsen Eidaya is a Kusatsu ryokan with private onsen that has something for everyone. They offer Japanese-style rooms as well as Western-style rooms, many with private onsen on the balcony, and others spacious enough to fit four futon beds and a living room area. Their facilities on-site are more like a B&B than a hotel, with homestyle tatami areas, and Japanese cultural activities and games that can be borrowed by guests.
Visitors to Kusatsu Onsen who want to stay together with a large group or who prefer to rent a whole property should consider Kusatsu Onsen Eidaya’s Showakan Villa. This three-bedroom villa with a private hot spring bath lets you enjoy onsen life like a Kusatsu local! The only downside is no breakfast and dinner are included with the villa stay costs. At least you have a full kitchen and dining area at your disposal, and a convenience store closeby! The on-site restaurant also serves a bento-style dinner and breakfast if ordered in advance.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
2. Hotel Sakurai
Japanese-Style Room with Open-Air Bath – $415 USD for two people, $775 for four people, buffet-style breakfast and dinner included (vegetarian food available).
Hotel Sakurai is a super-sized onsen ryokan in Kusatsu. I stayed here during my visit to Kusatsu in December with Moon Island Arts and was impressed with its size and luxury. Select rooms here have private, en-suite onsens attached (open-air, on the balcony) that are either ceramic or made of Japanese cypress. If you don’t manage to snag one of the private onsen rooms though, rest assured that Hotel Sakurai’s Suites and Deluxe rooms are just as amazing with views over the Gunma mountains and some with indoor Japanese rock gardens too. Two large communal onsens, indoor and outdoor and divided by gender, are available on-site for guests.
The hotel has a massive lobby with a network of gift shops and lounging areas. Meals are served buffet-style in their massive mess hall, including both Western and Japanese foods. It even has a small gaming arcade, and a center stage for daily cultural activities like a taiko drumming performance and yumomi (Kusatsu onsen’s water stirring) performance. The hotel is walking distance to central Kusatsu onsen, and across the street from a 7-Eleven convenience store as well.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
3. Tokinoniwa
Deluxe double and twin rooms with tatami area and open-air bath – $430-500 USD for two people, $910 for four people, breakfast and dinner included.
Tokinoniwa is a traditional Japanese onsen ryokan where visitors can travel back in time to experience an old Japanese atmosphere. All room types here (both double and twin rooms) have en-suite wooden onsen included. On the balconies are also a private seating area – perfect for unwinding and enjoying the surrounding Kusatsu natural landscapes. The communal indoor and outdoor onsen here have a variety of different onsen tubs for soaking, so you can find one to your linking.
Facilities available on-site include a sake bar, spa, gift shop, and lounge. A beautiful Japanese garden and walkway are also located on-site. If you want to know exactly what you’re getting here, check out their 3D floor plan and interactive map here!
Check the latest prices and availability on Booking.com.
4. Kusatsu Hotel 1913
Twin room and Triple room with private onsen – $460 USD per night for two people, breakfast and dinner included.
Kusatsu Hotel 1913 is a historic building that has been operating as a ryokan in Kusatsu Onsen for over 100 years. The main building offers a traditional Japanese interior and tatami rooms for guests, while the hotel annex rooms, more recent constructions, are spacious rooms with en-suite, private indoor onsen. A new on-site restaurant was also completed recently for guests to enjoy Kusatsu ingredients as part of their kaiseki (multi-course) meals.
Kusatsu Hotel 1913 also offers to their guests a lounge with relaxing lighting, a semi open-air terrace, and communal indoor and outdoor onsen. The communal onsen pulls hot spring water from two different sources, Bandai and Nishi-no-Kawara. Guests can enjoy the healing powers of both during their stay in Kusatsu Onsen.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
5. Urakusatsu TOU
Japanese and Western style rooms with private hot spring bath – $630 USD for two people, $1170 for four people, breakfast and dinner included.
Urakusatsu TOU is a sleek and modern Kusatsu ryokan. It offers private onsen options for their Western-style (with beds) and Japanese-style (with futons) rooms. The private onsen are located on each room’s enclosed balcony, creating a private, semi-open air onsen experience. As part of your stay, kaiseki (Japanese traditional multi-course) meals are offered using fresh regional ingredients.
Facilities on-site include a cozy outdoor terrace, a bar, and Japanese garden. Both indoor and open-air communal onsen are available for guests. Urakusatsi TOU also offers kashikiri, or onsen that can be reserved for 45 minutes at a time for a different private onsen experience from the en-suite ones.
This modern onsen ryokan with private onsen is located within walking distance from Kusatsu’s city center and its shopping district.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
6. La Vista Kusatsu Hills Resort
Twin room with open-air bath – $570-620 USD per night for two people, breakfast and dinner included. All of the rooms at this Kusatsu Onsen ryokan have private onsen attached!
La Vista Kusatsu Hills Resort takes its name from its location: in the rolling hills overlooking Kusatsu Onsen town and the surrounding mountains. Needless to say the rooms here have amazing views over the rolling Gunma hills. The resort is a short walk to the center of Kusatsu Onsen as well.
The communal onsen here are both indoor and outdoor, and pull hot spring waters from three different sources: Yubatake, Bandai, and Yukawa-no-yu. The outdoor public onsen is located on the top floor, so you can still enjoy the Kusatsu view while soaking in the picturesque rock tub. Four kashikiri onsen are also available on-site, so guests can enjoy different waters, different tubs, and different views during their stay at this Kusatsu Onsen resort with private onsen.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
7. Kusatsu Onsen Aeruyado Takamatsu
Superior twin room with open-air bath – $630 USD for two people, buffet-style breakfast and kaiseki dinner included. Twin rooms with two open-air baths are also available here for $973 USD per night for two people, breakfast and dinner included – just in case you want one private onsen per person! For larger groups, this Kusatsu ryokan allows guests to reserve two adjoining twin rooms for accessibility.
Kusatsu Onsen Aeruyado Takamatsu is a modern Japanese ryokan where all rooms are Western-style (with beds) and have balconies for guests to enjoy Kusatsu’s crisp mountain air. The private onsen in some rooms draw water from the Yubatake onsen waters. The rooms with two onsen have baths situated at different temperatures so you can soak in one, then ‘rest’ in the lower-temperature bath. So you can rest and repeat!
This ryokan has communal indoor and outdoor onsen, as well as access to more onsen in a neighboring property for an excellent onsen-hopping experience. There is also a rock bath, sauna, and cafe on-site for guests.
Check the latest prices and availability here.
Are You Prepared For Your Trip To Japan?
Be sure to check out my Japan home page for Japan travel information, insider tips, reading list, and must-haves for traveling to Japan!
- Book Your Flights – To find the cheapest flights, flexibility is key. I use both Google Flights for their low fare calendar, and Skiplagged, which uses airfare loopholes to get the lowest prices. For a trip to Japan, check flights to both Tokyo airports (Haneda, Narita) and to Osaka (Kansai).
- Getting Around Japan: Prepare your JR Pass and Suica transit card before you depart.
- Book Your Accommodation – Check out Booking.com for the largest selection of accommodation in Japan. Consider having a bit of fun at one of these Weirdest Hotels in Japan too 🙂
- Book Local Excursions – Don’t miss out on world-class experiences, like Teamlab Planets or Tokyo Disneyland, by booking tickets online now. Check GetYourGuide and Klook for fun experiences all around Japan.
- Stay Connected: Order a pocket WiFi for airport pickup if you’re traveling with family or with a large group. Solo traveling to Japan? Order a SIM card just for you.
- Buy Travel Insurance – It’s better to protect yourself from mishaps when traveling. Get a quote from World Nomads to see how much it’ll cost to get you covered!
- Pack Your Essentials – Check out my posts about Long Term Travel Gear, and Carry-On Luggage Packing Essentials.
- Read more on my Travel Resources page!
