Nisshinkan sits just below Yubatake, the hot-spring field at the heart of Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma. The inn says it has operated for more than 300 years, first under the name Yado Yumoto Yasubei, and today it is a small, family-style inn of 11 Japanese rooms. Before you book, three things matter: the baths take water straight from Yubatake and are open 24 hours to staying guests; the Japanese booking page is the one that works; and cancellation fees start 7 days before arrival.
What kind of inn is Nisshinkan?
Before the end of the Second World War, the inn says, it was one of the largest in Kusatsu. It now calls itself a small, homely inn, and its old collection stays on show: paintings, calligraphy and tools gathered over generations hang in the dining room and around the building. The website’s gallery lists works by Takehisa Yumeji, Munakata Shiko and the poet Kawahigashi Hekigoto, who wrote the inn’s name plaque on a visit in 1921. The gallery is a page on the website, not a room in the building; if you want to see a piece in person, ask at the front desk.
Next door, the inn runs Cafe Gute Reise, built in the frame of the inn’s old bathhouse. It opens 9:30 to 17:30 and closes on Tuesdays.
Rooms at a glance
| Room type | Size | Guests | Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese room, 8 mats | about 15 m² | up to 2 | 4 |
| Japanese room, 10 mats | about 18 m² | up to 4 | 6 |
| Japanese room, 17.5 mats | about 31 m² | up to 8 | 1 |
11 rooms, 38 guests at most. Mat counts and guest numbers from the Japanese rooms page; square meters from the English rooms page, read October 14, 2026.
Every room has a Western-style toilet with a bidet seat, a phone, a fridge, heating and free Wi-Fi. The Japanese page says air conditioning is installed only from late July to mid-September. Yukata, a padded jacket, bath and face towels and a toothbrush are provided; hair dryers are in the bath changing rooms. Room 8 looks out over Yubatake, but it can only be requested by larger groups, so ask the inn about it.
What time are check-in and checkout?
Check-in starts at 13:00 and checkout is by 10:00. The English and Japanese pages give different latest arrival times for plans with dinner, so confirm yours with the inn. After checkout, the inn keeps your luggage, and drivers can leave the car in the lot until about noon.
The baths at Nisshinkan
Where does the water come from?
The inn says it draws water directly from Yubatake and uses it with nothing added. The water is clear with a green tint; after heavy rain, or when the town collects mineral deposits at Yubatake, it can occasionally turn cloudy white. The bath building is made of Japanese cypress, with high latticed windows to let out the steam.
When are the baths open?
The baths are open 24 hours a day, for staying guests only. The men’s bath has a large indoor tub and an outdoor bath. The women’s bath has two tubs of different size and temperature; the official pages do not mention an outdoor bath for women, and they list no private bath. The English page sets out the house rules: no swimsuits, wash before you get in, keep towels out of the water and take no photos.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask. The inn also notes the water is not suited to people with very sensitive skin or mucous membranes, especially those sensitive to light.
Getting to Nisshinkan in Kusatsu Onsen
How far is it from the bus terminal?
Buses from the train stations and highway buses arrive at Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, about a five-minute walk away, past Yubatake. If the ground is bad or your bags are heavy, call the inn from the terminal and staff will come to pick you up. Highway buses from Shinjuku take about 4 hours 30 minutes. For the train routes via Karuizawa or Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, see our Kusatsu Onsen from Tokyo guide.
Can I drive there?
The front yard is a guest parking lot for 12 cars. Large buses cannot enter the Yubatake area. Snow is possible from late November, so carry winter tires or chains. The inn advises walking for sightseeing, since the town’s streets are narrow and there is little parking near Yubatake and Sainokawara. The English page warns that other inns share the name, in other onsen towns, so search for “Kusatsu Onsen Nisshinkan.”
Meals at Nisshinkan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
The inn describes its cooking as plain rather than lavish, built on local mountain produce in season. The sample dinner is a hot-plate dish of white maitake mushrooms and Joshu mochi pork with sesame sauce, with rice and soup; breakfast includes a hot-spring egg and sweet local runner beans. Dinner starts at 18:00 in the dining room among the inn’s old art. Groups of five to ten can ask for a private room when booking, if one is free.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The official pages do not say. Email the inn before booking if you have an allergy or follow a special diet.
Prices, children and payment at Nisshinkan
How much does a stay cost?
There are four plans: dinner and breakfast, dinner only, breakfast only, and room only. The booking page shows reference rates per person, consumption tax included and with no service charge, which change by date and room; the final price appears on the confirmation screen. On top, the inn adds a bathing tax of 150 yen per adult per night. Kusatsu Town exempts children of elementary school age and younger; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What about children?
The booking page lists elementary school children as one category, and preschool children in four, depending on whether they need meals and bedding. The official pages give no child prices, so they appear when you enter the number of children while booking.
What is the cancellation policy?
For seven guests or fewer: no fee until 8 days before; 10 percent from 7 to 3 days before; 20 percent the 2 days before; 50 percent on the day until 15:00; 80 percent from 15:00 to 18:00; and the full amount after 18:00 or for a no-show. For eight or more, fees start at 5 percent from 14 days before. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Plans on the booking page accept PayPay, online card payment, PayPal, payment at the inn, and Paidy (pay later). The official pages do not list which cards are taken at the inn.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Nisshinkan
- The phone line is in Japanese only, according to the English site; email yumoto@nisshinkan.com instead.
- The online booking page takes 1 to 3 rooms. For 4 rooms or more, or 10 guests or more, contact the inn by phone or email.
- The baths are for staying guests only, and the bath water can turn white after rain.
- Keep 150 yen per adult per night for the bathing tax.
- The inn also runs a shuttle to Kusatsu International Ski Resort, about five minutes away by car.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the bath water at Nisshinkan come from?
Can I bathe at Nisshinkan with a tattoo?
Can I book Nisshinkan in English?
What is the cancellation policy at Nisshinkan?
How far is Nisshinkan from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal?
Bottom line (2026): Nisshinkan is a small, old inn a short walk from Yubatake, with 24-hour baths of Yubatake water and a dining room full of the inn’s art. Book on the Japanese booking page or by email, and ask ahead about tattoos and diets.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Nisshinkan’s official pages: home (Japanese), English site, rooms, hot springs, meals, access, gallery, the official booking page and its cancellation rules, plus Kusatsu Town’s bathing tax page. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
Tokyo to Osaka, Tokyo to Kyushu, Tokyo to Hokkaido — day by day — plus seven places most visitors never reach.
- 12 pages, 80 photographs, every stop linked to its guide
- Every price and opening hour read from the official page
- Re-issued monthly, so it does not go stale in your inbox
Free. One email a month, plus the rare change that matters. Unsubscribe with one click in any email. By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy.
