The Onsen Village of Kusatsu

Being riddled with active volcanoes as it is, it isn't difficult to find hot springs all across Japan. Even in Tokyo, which occupies a relatively flat surface, hot spring water can be pulled from the depths of the underground. But some towns have an economy built almost exclusively around their onsen springs, and Kusatsu, four hours north of Tokyo, is one such town.

 With my ticket in hand allowing for one overnight stay in Kusatsu, transportation included, I hopped onto a bus and made my way. Tucked away into the mountains of Gunma, altitude accounts for a little bit of a drop in temperature, compared to the recent warm weather in Tokyo. The town of Kusatsu is run by an aging population and fueled by tourism, and most of its attractions have something or another to do with the natural hot water drawn from the ground.
 The most famous landmark of Kusatsu is the Yubatake - or hot water field. Located right

smack in the center of the town, it's impossible to miss. Here, water flows from rock into rows of wooden boxes, and the residue they leave is cultivated into a dust from which any regular water can gain the properties of Kusatsu's onsen. The waters are said to be medicinal and able to relieve stiff shoulders, bruises and sprains and the like.
 In earnest, I do hope the powder doesn't make water smell like the onsen too. The pungency of sulfur is hard to bear if you get too close to the pools of the yubatake. And it's best not to try drinking of the water either. Even dipping your lips into Kusatsu's hot springs is enough to tell you that the water is incredibly acidic. I know that from experience, now.

 There are a number of traditions rooted in the extraction of the hot water from the earth, and for a small price, it's possible to see (and even participate) in the yumomi, the traditional act of singing and dancing while using wooden paddles to cool the water. Traditional song and dance aside, this method of cooling the water is still used in Kusatsu, rather than diluting the hot water by adding cold. Such an act would also dilute the medicinal properties of the thermal water. I wouldn't say Kusatsu's theme song is catchy, but it does help to have a tempo when paddling the water.
Have a look at me giving it my honest best!

 If you participate in the yumomi, you get a stamp card, and stamping it five times gets you a certificate, demonstrating your awesome ability to cool hot water with a two meter paddle. No, I'm not joking. I'm sure it would fit very well into a job resume.

 Similarly to the town of Kinugawa, there are a number of hotels dotted around Kusatsu (though not nearly so many, since we now know what becomes of that) as well as other attractions that also help pass time in the town. Though no one would doubt that these come second to the town's onsen, activities like zipline parks, golf, archery, and even a maze are available and some even came packaged with my own hotel. Though the rain on my second day held me short of trying the tree-to-tree zipline park, I still did manage to get a few activities in.
 I would've had more than enough to do had I even spent an extra day in the town, seeing as there are over 100 different hot springs in the town, and it's even possible to hike up the neighboring volcanoes in the area, but, short on time, I headed back after my brief yet deeply satisfying taste of the mountain town.