Yumomi at Kusatsu Onsen

The water from the springs in Kusatsu Onsen town is very hot, and needs to be cooled down before people can safely bathe in it. In the old days they stirred it with wooden paddles to speed the cooling process. You can see a performance of this traditional process in a new hall next to Yubatake, the 'hot water field'. After the method is demonstrated by women in red and white costumes you can take a turn yourself.