Kusatsu Onsen · Saino-kawara area
Saino-kawara Park
How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24
A walking spot where hot springs well up everywhere and run off as a steaming stream. A big open-air bath and a shrine are inside the park.
- Nearest station
- 15 min walk from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal
- Hours
- No park hours are listed. Light-up from sunset to midnight
- Admission
- No park fee is listed
What to see
- The steaming stream: hot water wells up all over and flows away as a river.
- Demon place names: “Oni’s Teakettle” and “Oni’s Sumo Ring” are still used.
- Monuments: memorials to Dr. Baelz, the poet Saito Mokichi and others.
- Kusatsu Anamori Inari Shrine: a long run of red torii gates. The shrine sand is called “good-luck sand”, offered for ¥200.
- Night light-up: from sunset to midnight.
History
It was once feared as a place where demons lived, and legend says you must not shout here. In 1935 a memorial was built for Dr. Baelz, the German physician who introduced Kusatsu to the world.
Getting there
About a 15-minute walk from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, west of the town centre.
Before you go
Opening hours and any fee are not given on the tourism association or town pages.
Sainokawara and Otakinoyu
Tap a red pin to open that sight's page.
Nearby sights
← Kusatsu Onsen guide: trains from Tokyo
Sources
Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.
- 草津温泉観光協会（西の河原公園）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 草津町公式サイト（西の河原公園）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 草津温泉観光協会（草津穴守稲荷神社）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 草津温泉観光協会（歴史）（checked 2026-10-24）
Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors