Amenities
- Indoor Onsen
- Breakfast & Dinner Plans
- In-Room Fridge
- In-Room Toilet & Sink
- Yukata & Towels
- Yubatake-View Rooms
- Luggage Storage
Wake Up Beside Yubatake
The view is the reason to stay at Yamamotokan. Open the shoji screens and Kusatsu’s Yubatake is right outside: steam rising between the buildings, people wandering past the shops and hot spring water running through the wooden channels below.
We loved being able to sit by the window and watch it all without leaving our room. After dark, the colorful lights give the steam a completely different look. This is a stay where the view deserves some time in your itinerary.
Steam rising over Yubatake, seen from Yamamotokan.
Book the view deliberately. The hotel lists four Yubatake-facing rooms: Yukemuri, Suzuran, Rindo and Komakusa. Other rooms face different streets. Check the room description before reserving. A booking at Yamamotokan alone does not guarantee this outlook.
Stay at Yamamotokan
Wake up beside Yubatake in Kusatsu Onsen, with steam outside your window, hearty Japanese meals and wonderfully hot baths.
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Where We Stayed — Yubatake-View Special Room
We booked the Suzuran / Yukemuri special-room category with a view of Yubatake. The hotel lists Suzuran and Yukemuri as two separate named rooms. Our confirmation grouped them together. Our room combined a tatami area with a separate sitting space by the window. The wood framing and sliding screens made the view feel like part of the room, while twin beds gave us a familiar place to sleep. You can see the folded yukata and towels waiting on the beds in our photo.
Twin beds and yukata in our room.
Our room did not have a shower. We washed in the bathing area at the hotel’s onsen. Guest rooms have their own toilet and sink, so the shared bathing arrangement is the main thing to understand before you book.
Dinner and Breakfast
Both meals were a highlight for us: generous, hearty and complete. Dinner felt like a proper part of the stay, rather than something to fit in between sightseeing and a bath.
Sashimi from our dinner at Yamamotokan.
The next morning’s breakfast was just as satisfying. We liked having both meals taken care of and being able to spend the rest of our time enjoying Kusatsu. If that is the stay you want, choose a rate that includes dinner and breakfast—room-only plans are also available.
See the hotel’s dining information ↗
Very Hot Onsen Water
The water here is hot. Really hot. That was one of the strongest impressions from our stay, and something to keep in mind if you usually prefer a gentle soak.
Yamamotokan lists its baths at around 43°C, with temperatures varying naturally. The baths are indoors, on the basement level; there is no private or outdoor bath. The showers we used were in the bathing area.
A bathing scene displayed inside the ryokan.
Yubatake After Dark
Being right next to Yubatake makes it easy to go out again after dinner. We had the illuminated water and steam on our doorstep, then the same scene to look out over when we returned to the room.
The same Yubatake view after dark.
Yamamotokan’s timber facade beside Yubatake.
Before You Book
Yamamotokan is a historic wooden ryokan with shared bathing, and that traditional setup was part of the experience. For us, waking up to steam rising over Yubatake, soaking in the onsen and sitting down to dinner made the stay worth it. Here’s what to know before you book.
- Room views vary. Choose a Yubatake-facing room for the outlook shown here.
- Showers are in the baths. Our room had no private shower.
- There is no elevator or air conditioning. The hotel provides fans and heating.
- Check meal inclusion. Confirm that your rate includes both dinner and breakfast.
- Dietary needs matter. The hotel says it cannot accommodate food allergies or ingredient substitutions.
- Check-in is 3 p.m.; checkout is 10 a.m.
Getting to Yamamotokan
Plan your journey from Tokyo to Yamamotokan.
Getting to Kusatsu Onsen
About 3 HoursFrom Ueno · Train + BusTo Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. Allow extra for connections and the transfer to your hotel.
Gunma’s Tokyo–Kusatsu Guide ↗Naganohara–Kusatsu Bus Timetable ↗Direct Buses From Tokyo
About 4 HoursFrom Tokyo Station or Shinjuku · Direct BusTo Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. Allow extra for traffic and the transfer to your hotel.
From Tokyo Station ↗From Shinjuku ↗