Tajimaya Ryokan

The inn is right by the bus station and shopping street, and the large public bath was usually quiet. Our tatami room was roomy and comfortable, with lovely sakura wallpaper. They brought complimentary green tea and onsen manju, which was delicious. The staff were friendly, and it felt like very good value. I'd happily stay again at this historic inn.

The owners are very friendly, and the onsen is nice, though the water runs a little hot. The facility was very clean. It's only two minutes from the bus station and under five minutes from the center. If you're sensitive to noise, this place might not suit you.

This was my first stay in a “real” Japanese ryokan. The room and toilet were clean, and the elderly women and man working there were friendly. Just know that the inn has a shared ofuro, a small onsen, and no separate bathroom was explained to us, so showering means using it alongside other guests. The building is quite old, and you can hear people walking and talking upstairs. I didn't really mind. Towels, toothbrushes, and other amenities aren't free, so bring your own if you don't want to pay extra.

I picked up a walnut miso an onsen manju for the bus ride home, and it was a great choice. Whole fragrant walnuts in the bean paste gave it a lovely crunch, while their slight bitterness balanced the sweet-salty miso flavor. It's also a good souvenir, and not something I often see in other shops. The shop is attached to the lodging-only inn “Tajimaya,” a long-established place with a big raccoon dog statue greeting visitors with “Thank you for your hard work.” It's diagonally across from the bus terminal and about a three-minute walk from Yubatake, so it's easy to visit while sightseeing or waiting for the bus. They sell tempting things for drinks or rice, including homemade tsukudani, shichimi togarashi, and pickles. Their freshly made onsen manju come in four fillings, keeping the tradition while offering some variety: brown sugar red bean paste with rich Okinawan brown sugar, chestnut kinton with a sticky chestnut sweetness, and mugwort koshian that smells fragrant as soon as you open the bag, as well as the walnut miso one I tried. A lovely place to end a Kusatsu Onsen trip.