What to Eat in Kusatsu Onsen: 7 Local Foods You Can't Miss

What to Eat in Kusatsu Onsen: 7 Local Specialties to Try

These seven dishes and snacks define what to eat in Kusatsu Onsen. Most are sold within a five-minute walk of the Yubatake. A single loop through the shopping streets covers the whole list, from savory tempura to sweet fried buns.

• Maitake Mushroom Tempura
  • Maitake, meaning dancing mushroom, is one of the few crops that the region's acidic soil supports well.
  • Soba shops near the Yubatake fry it fresh to order and serve it with salt or a dip in soba broth.
  • Order it as a side to a soba set rather than on its own, since portions are sized for sharing with noodles.
• Onsen Manju and Karintou Manju
  • Standard onsen manju are steamed buns with a thin brown-sugar skin wrapped around sweet azuki bean paste.
  • Karintou manju swaps that steamed skin for a crisp, deep-fried one around the same filling.
  • Matsumura Manju, on the shopping streets near Yubatake, hands out a free sample with green tea before you buy.
• Onsen Tamago and Onsen Egg Soft Serve
  • Onsen tamago are eggs slow-cooked in spring water until the white just sets and the yolk stays soft.
  • Shops along the path to Sainokawara Park sell them with a splash of soy sauce for easy eating on foot.
  • Onsen egg soft serve is not egg-flavored; despite the name, it tastes closer to a custard pudding than to egg.
• Mikuni Soba (三國家), Handmade Noodles
  • Mikuni Soba hand-makes its noodles daily and is the shop most guides mention first.
  • The sharing platter typically serves two to three people, with dipping sauce and tempura ordered separately.
  • Pairs or solo diners often do better with individual bowls, since the shared platter is sized for a group.
• Nureokaki, Grilled Rice Cracker Skewers
  • Nureokaki are grilled rice cracker skewers brushed with a soy-and-scallion glaze, or a spicier chili version.
  • They're a walk-and-eat snack, sized for a bite or two rather than a full meal.
  • Vacuum-sealed packs also make a compact souvenir, unlike the fresh-eaten sweets on this list.
• Amanatto, Sweetened High-Altitude Beans
  • Amanatto are sugar-glazed beans that, by local account, only bear fruit above roughly 700 meters.
  • The beans are dried, soaked, then simmered in sugar for a chewy texture and a light sweetness.
  • They travel well, so they double as a take-home snack from the shopping streets near Yubatake.
• Agemanju, Deep-Fried Manju
  • Agemanju takes the same steamed bean-paste bun and deep-fries it, so the outside turns crisp while the center stays warm.
  • Treat it as a once-a-day treat rather than a repeat snack, since it's heavier than the steamed or crunchy versions.
  • A coffee or green tea afterward cuts through the richness better than a second helping would.

The Mikuni Soba Queue: When to Eat and What to Order

The Mikuni Soba queue is the most talked-about wait in town. Midday lines often pass an hour. Summer visitors face that wait in heat that can reach 35°C. Both Mikuni Soba and Soba Hanashigara make their noodles fresh each morning. That means either shop can sell out of the day's batch before dinner. Soba Hanashigara sits a short walk up the same street and is worth trying when the main line is long. Arriving close to opening improves your odds of a short wait and a full menu. Groups of four or more can share a large soba platter with tempura on the side. Pairs and solo diners usually do better ordering individual bowls, since the shared platter is priced and sized for a group.

Ryokan Kaiseki Dinners vs Street Food Around Yubatake

A ryokan kaiseki dinner is a multi-course, formally plated meal. It's often built around a dozen or more small dishes served one at a time. Expect regional vegetables, mountain fish, and seasonal preparations rather than a single entree. One reported package, in a room with its own private bath, priced dinner and breakfast at around ¥48,750 per person. Simpler rooms without a private bath cost less. Breakfast is typically included in the same overnight package, served either in-room or in a shared dining hall. Some travelers note that the food at a given ryokan can feel less distinctly local than the setting suggests, so it's worth asking whether a kitchen features Gunma specialties like maitake or konnyaku before booking. Street food around the Yubatake runs a fraction of a kaiseki package's price. Travelers on a tighter budget can eat well without booking a kaiseki plan at all. The ground-floor tea cafe at Naraya Ryokan serves drip-style coffee, including an unusual version mixed with umeshu, or plum liqueur. It's open to visitors who aren't staying overnight.

Local Drinks: Beer, Cider and Coffee in Kusatsu

Kusatsu pairs its food with a short list of local drinks and cafes. Some use the same spring water that feeds the baths, filtered and processed for drinking. Bars and izakaya around town also sell cold draft beer to go, for a slower walk back to your ryokan.

• Kusatsu Onsen Monogatari Beer
  • Three locally brewed labels, typically priced around ¥500 a bottle at shops around town.
  • Each label has a slightly different flavor profile, so shops often let you sample before buying.
• Karuizawa Beer
  • Brewed in the neighboring resort town and served on nearly as many menus as the local label.
  • It's common enough that some restaurants offer more Karuizawa options than Kusatsu-brewed ones.
• Yu-kemuri Cider
  • A sweet, spring-water-based soda pop rather than an alcoholic drink.
  • In Japan, cider means soda, not fermented apple juice, so expect a sugary, carbonated drink.
• Tea Houses and Coffee Shops
  • Numerous spots around town serve green tea, cafe lattes, and smoothies, many with cakes or snacks to go.
  • The tea cafe at Naraya Ryokan is one example, open to non-guests during the day.

Getting to Kusatsu Onsen and Timing Your Food Crawl

Most visitors reach Kusatsu by one of a few routes.

A Half-Day Food Walk From Yubatake to Sainokawara Park

This route strings together the dishes above into a single afternoon, without doubling back through town.

• Late Morning: Yubatake and Onsen Manju
  • Start at the Yubatake to see the hot spring field before the streets fill up.
  • Pick up onsen manju from a shop like Matsumura Manju while it's freshly steamed.
• Midday: Choosing a Soba Shop
  • Head for Mikuni Soba if you're prepared for a possible wait past an hour.
  • Choose Soba Hanashigara instead if the line looks long or the heat is heavy.
• Early Afternoon: The Path to Sainokawara Park
  • Walk the shopping streets toward Sainokawara Park, stopping for onsen tamago along the way.
  • Try an onsen egg soft serve here if you want a cool, custard-flavored break.
• Late Afternoon: Netsunoyu Yumomi Performance
  • Time your walk back toward Yubatake for the Yumomi performance at Netsunoyu, which runs at 15:30, 16:00, and 16:30.
  • Tickets cost ¥600 and are sold at the door rather than online.
• Evening: Ryokan Dinner or a Local Beer
  • Head back to your ryokan for a kaiseki dinner if it's included in your stay.
  • Otherwise, pick up a bottle of Kusatsu Onsen Monogatari beer or Yu-kemuri Cider to end the day.

Eating in Kusatsu by Season

Summer visitors face temperatures near 35°C, especially in the queue outside Mikuni Soba. Cold soba and soft serve are especially popular during these months, and shops sell out faster once demand rises. Winter brings its own waits, despite the cold, as travelers move between baths and hot food. Hot soba, maitake tempura, and kaiseki dinners see the most demand once the temperature drops. Whichever season you visit, plan lunch close to opening. Both summer and winter crowds can empty the day's batch early.

Budgeting for Food in Kusatsu Onsen

Food costs in Kusatsu span a wide range depending on how you eat.