🏮 Kusatsu Onsen Matsuri

草津温泉祭り

Kusatsu, Gunma (草津温泉) · Every year on 1 August

Summer festivalTraditional performing artsFood stalls

321 days to go
Rooms around Kusatsu, Gunma fill up while the festival is on.

In Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture, the Kusatsu Onsen Thanksgiving Festival is held every summer at Kusatsu Onsen. Organized by Kusatsu Town and the Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association, with the Kusatsu Onsen Thanksgiving Festival Ceremony Preservation Society running the ceremony, this festival is a traditional event expressing gratitude for Kusatsu's abundant hot spring blessings and wishing for the town's prosperity and good health. In 2025, the 79th festival was held on August 1 and 2, returning to a grand scale after being scaled down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The core of the festival is the "Megami Kōrin no Gi" (Descent of the Goddess) procession from Yubatake to Shirane Shrine, and the "Megami Shōten no Gi" (Ascension of the Goddess) held at 20:00 on the second day. The sight of shrine maidens dancing on the steps of Kusatsu-san Kōsenji Temple illuminated by lights is a fantastical scene emerging from the darkness of night. From daytime to night, a variety of events unfold, including tezutsu fireworks (hand-held fireworks), Jōshū Funkazan Daiko drums, Kusatsu folk songs, sake tasting, and street stalls around Yubatake. There are also plenty of family-friendly events such as comedy stages, monkey shows, and harmonica live performances, and strolling around Yubatake in yukata (light summer kimono) lets you feel the summer atmosphere.

Getting there

About a 3-minute walk from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, Yubatake is the venue. By car, about 60 minutes from Usui-Karuizawa IC on the Joshinetsu Expressway via National Routes 18, 146, and 292. Traffic restrictions are in place during the festival.