Kusatsu Onsen

Stay in town. That is the whole point of Kusatsu, and the free shuttle to the ski area means there is no real advantage to staying anywhere else. Around the Yubatake you will find classic ryokan such as Naraya and Hotel Ichii, where you get tatami rooms, multi-course dinners and indoor and outdoor baths fed by the same famous water. If you are new to this style of stay, our guide to what a ryokan is covers the basics, from yukata to dinner times.

For something more like a standard hotel, there are larger properties on the edges of town, including Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Village and Hotel Sakurai, with bigger rooms, buffet dining and large baths. They work well for families who want space and fewer house rules. Smaller minshuku and pensions in the backstreets are the budget option, often with simple, hearty home cooking.

A practical tip: the town is hilly and the streets around the Yubatake get busy, so if you are carrying skis every morning, pick a place close to the bus terminal or ask whether your hotel runs its own shuttle to the slopes.

The ski area is split between two hills. Tengu-yama, right above town, is the hub, with the main base, the Pulse Gondola Tengu (a short 473 m ride), a high-speed quad and the family slopes. It also hosts Kusatsu's steepest pitch, a short wall that reaches 30 degrees, and the night-skiing terrain. Higher up, Aoba-yama is the top of the current resort at just over 1,600 m. Its first course is the steepest sustained run on the mountain at up to 28 degrees, and it is the first place to look when there has been fresh snow overnight.

Linking the two are the long cruising runs that most visitors spend the day on. Shakunage is a 3.2 km beginner trail served by its own high-speed quad. The R292 course follows National Route 292, which is closed to cars in winter and groomed as a 2 km run, so for a few months a year you are skiing down a highway. Chained together via Onari, these runs give you a route of about 4.3 km from the top of Aoba-yama to the base at Tengu-yama. It is relaxing rather than challenging, with long stretches at single-digit gradients.

Officially, the terrain splits roughly 50 percent beginner, 30 percent intermediate and 20 percent advanced, but the advanced runs are short. Snow quality is the real asset. At this height and on the eastern side of the divide, the snow stays cold and dry, and the groomers hold up well. Big storms are rare, so a powder day here usually means a few soft centimetres on the upper Aoba runs rather than anything deep.

Off-piste is closed. The boundary is roped, there is no gate system, and the higher terrain beyond the resort sits inside a volcanic restriction zone, so ducking a rope is both a pass-pulling offence and a genuinely bad idea. When the upper lifts are hit by wind or cloud, drop down to Tengu-yama, where the trees and lower altitude keep things skiable.

By train, take a limited express or local train on the JR Agatsuma Line to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, then a JR bus for about 25 minutes to Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal. From there, a free shuttle reaches the Tengu-yama base in about five minutes. Direct highway buses also run from central Tokyo to the Kusatsu bus terminal in roughly four hours, which is often the easiest option if you have luggage. Buses also connect Kusatsu with Karuizawa, which is handy if you are arriving on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Our Japan ski transport guide explains how to combine trains, buses and luggage forwarding.

Driving from Tokyo takes about three to three and a half hours via the Kan-Etsu Expressway and mountain roads through Naganohara. The final climb is snowy and often icy, so winter tyres are essential and chains are a sensible backup. Do not plan to cross the Shibu Pass to Shiga Kogen: that section of Route 292 is closed in winter, which is exactly why it doubles as a ski run.

Kusatsu is best for beginners, families, relaxed intermediates and anyone who rates a good soak as highly as a good run. The long green runs are ideal for building mileage without stress, the kids' park and sledding keep small children busy, and the short commute from town means nobody wastes half the day getting to the snow. Couples and mixed groups who want a ski-and-onsen trip will find few better combinations in Japan, which is why it features on our list of the best onsen ski resorts in Japan.

Strong skiers and powder chasers will find it limited. With 355 m of vertical, a few short steep sections and no off-piste, one day is usually enough. Park riders should also look elsewhere. Treat Kusatsu as a rest-day resort on a longer trip and spend your powder days in Niigata or northern Nagano.

The main base restaurant at Tengu-yama is large and practical, serving the standard Japanese ski menu (curry rice, ramen, katsu and rice bowls). At the top of the gondola, the glass-walled Crystal Ten has a sushi counter and views over the town, and smaller lodges on Aoba-yama and at Onari keep you fed without having to ski all the way back down.

The town is where food gets interesting. Graze your way around the Yubatake on onsen manju, hot-spring eggs and soba, then settle into an izakaya or a set dinner at your ryokan. Après means bathing: the huge open-air Sainokawara bath, the historic Otakinoyu, and the yumomi water-paddling show at Netsunoyu, where performers cool the scalding water with wooden boards and songs. Nightlife beyond that is gentle, and a slow walk around the lit-up Yubatake after dinner is a highlight in itself.

• Hours and night skiing: Lifts usually run from 8:30 on weekdays and 8:00 on weekends until 16:30. Night skiing runs 16:30 to 20:00 on Saturdays and selected holidays.
• Tickets: An adult day pass is ¥6,000. Shorter time tickets and night tickets are available if you are splitting the day with the onsen.
• Volcanic zone: Kusatsu-Shirane is an active volcano. The old upper ski area and the high road beyond town sit inside a restricted zone and can be subject to further closures if activity increases. Follow local notices and never go past ropes or road closure signs.
• Snow: Cold, dry and reliable for groomers, with lighter snowfall than the Sea of Japan side. Bring a low-light lens for cloudy days on Aoba-yama.
• Onsen etiquette: Wash before entering the bath, keep your towel out of the water and check tattoo policies, which vary between public baths and ryokan. Our onsen etiquette guide for skiers covers the rest. Kusatsu's water is very acidic, so rinse jewellery and avoid long soaks if you have sensitive skin.
• Pair it with: Manza Onsen for deeper snow and more sulphur, Palcall Tsumagoi for long cruisers and a sunrise gondola, or a longer drive north to Marunuma Kogen and Oze Iwakura when you want more vertical.