Nushiyu Ryokan is a small, family-run inn in Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, right by the Yubatake, the town’s steaming hot-spring field. The inn says it has been in Kusatsu for about 120 years and is frank that its selling point is the water, not the building. Before you book, three things matter: payment is cash only; there is no elevator in a five-floor building; and the front door is locked at 23:00.
Why people stay at Nushiyu Ryokan: the Shirahata spring
Where does the bath water come from?
The baths draw from the Shirahata spring, which rises next to the Yubatake. The inn says only 10 inns in Kusatsu use this source. The water is acidic sulfate-chloride, and the inn says it is not recirculated, heated or diluted; water may be added only while the tubs are being cleaned, to adjust the temperature. Because the inn sits on higher ground, the water is pumped up rather than flowing in by gravity. Water at about 50°C runs from the spout, and the inn admits some days are a little hot.
Which baths are there, and when are they open?
There are men’s and women’s open-air baths overlooking the Yubatake, men’s and women’s indoor baths, and a private family bath, which the booking page says is free. All baths are open 24 hours. The inn says the tubs are small and few. The official pages differ on how much of the Yubatake can be seen from the women’s open-air bath, so ask if that view matters to you. How to reserve the private bath is not stated.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book; the private family bath may be an option. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Nushiyu Ryokan at a glance
| What you need to know | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 446 Kusatsu, Kusatsu-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma 377-1711 |
| Phone | +81-279-88-2477 |
| Rooms | All Japanese-style; 8 mats, or 10 mats depending on group size |
| Guests per room | 2 to 4 on the booking page |
| Latest check-in | 18:00 (dinner plans) or 19:00 (room-only and breakfast plans) |
| Checkout / doors lock | 10:00 / 23:00 |
| Baths | Open-air and indoor (men and women), private family bath, 24 hours |
| Payment | Cash only |
| Extra charges | Bathing tax 150 yen per adult; heating 1,100 yen per room (December to March) |
| Parking | 13 spaces |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
What the building and rooms are like
The inn describes itself plainly: the building is not new, the rooms are not fancy (though it stresses they are cleaned properly), there are many stairs, and the rooms with good views are as high as the 5th floor. The theme, it says, is “our home”, run by the owner’s family and local staff, four people in all.
Every room is a Japanese tatami room, mostly 8 mats, with a 10-mat room given to larger groups. The inn assigns rooms by party size. Each has a toilet with a washlet, a washbasin, a safe, an empty fridge and an air purifier. In summer, rooms use electric fans; the booking page says there is no air conditioning. There is a coffee corner, a small shop and a ski room. The official site says there are no facilities for disabled guests and no signs in foreign languages.
Meals at Nushiyu Ryokan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner and breakfast are served in the inn’s hall (hiroma), not in your room. Dinner is a traditional set of local and seasonal food made by a veteran head cook; the standard plan includes a pork shabu-shabu, and other plans add Joshu beef as a hot-stone steak or, on weekdays only, as shabu-shabu. Breakfast is a Japanese set; the inn says its rice comes from Niigata and is cooked in a gas pot.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The official pages do not say. Ask the inn by email or phone before you book. If you prefer to eat out, there are breakfast-only, dinner-only and room-only plans, and the booking page says a convenience store is about a minute’s walk away.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment at Nushiyu Ryokan
How much does a stay cost?
Prices on the booking page are per person per night with two adults in a room, tax included. Room only starts at 10,000 yen, breakfast only at 11,000 yen, and dinner only at 14,000 yen. For dinner and breakfast, the home page and the booking page show different starting prices, so check the plan you want on the booking page. Add the bathing tax of 150 yen per adult and, from December to March, a heating fee of 1,100 yen per room. Kusatsu town exempts children of elementary-school age and under from the bathing tax; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
Elementary-school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate. Younger children pay 50 percent with meals and bedding, 4,400 yen with meals only, 3,300 yen with bedding only, or 2,200 yen with neither.
What is the cancellation policy?
The booking page lists 20 percent from 5 to 3 days before, 30 percent 2 days before, 50 percent the day before, 80 percent on the day, and 100 percent for a no-show. See our hotel cancellation guide for how these fees work in Japan.
How do I pay?
In cash only, on the day, according to every plan on the booking page. Bring enough yen.
Getting to Nushiyu Ryokan in Kusatsu Onsen
The inn is at 446 Kusatsu, in the center of town. The booking page says the Yubatake is right in front of the entrance and that most shops and restaurants are around it. The official site does not give a station route or a pickup service; it links to the Shinjuku–Kusatsu highway bus and to route planners. For trains and buses from Tokyo, see our Kusatsu Onsen from Tokyo guide. If you drive, the inn lists 13 parking spaces; the fee is not stated.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Nushiyu Ryokan
- The website is in Japanese only, and the English screen of the booking page showed no plans when we checked. You can book on the Japanese booking page or contact the inn at nushiyu@kusatsu.org or +81-279-88-2477.
- Bring cash; cards are not accepted on any plan.
- There is no elevator, and rooms are on the 2nd to 5th floors. Pack light.
- The door locks at 23:00 for security, so plan evening walks around the Yubatake before then.
- Rooms have fans, not air conditioning, in summer, and there is a heating fee in winter.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay by credit card at Nushiyu Ryokan?
Are the baths at Nushiyu Ryokan open all night?
Is there an elevator at Nushiyu Ryokan?
What is the cancellation policy at Nushiyu Ryokan?
Can I book Nushiyu Ryokan in English?
Bottom line (2026): Nushiyu Ryokan is a simple, family-run inn by the Yubatake whose draw is its Shirahata spring water, open 24 hours with a free private bath. Expect stairs, fans instead of air conditioning, and cash payment, and book on the Japanese booking page or by email.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Nushiyu Ryokan’s official pages: home (Japanese), baths and meals, facilities and about the inn, the official booking page, and Kusatsu town’s bathing tax page. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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