Archives: Travel Post

Dr. Erwin-von-Belz came to Japan in 1876, and was a German doctor who served as a professor at the Tokyo Medical School and as a samurai doctor at the Imperial Family for 29 years. Since visiting Kusatsu in 1878, he has been fascinated by his excellent efficacy and unique bathing methods, and introduced him to the world as "the world's first-class hot spring recreation area." in the second-floor exhibition room of the memorial hall in a corner of the roadside station movement teahouse park, there is a commentary using panels and photographs of the life of Dr. Belz, who is called "the father of modern Japanese medicine" in honor of his achievements. The wife's flower lady's dress and kimono are also on display. On the first floor, there is also a stand selling German and Austrian products originating from the sister city of Kusatsu.

While active as an actor, Tsurutaro Kataoka's specialized art museum has also attracted attention as an artist in recent years. About 120 works from the collection of about 550 items such as ink paintings and books are on display according to the season. The most popular "art cafe kusatsu" is "an butter toast". Open from 8 o'clock, terrace seat is also recommended.

Kusatsu Onsen, which is an effort to neutralize the highly acidic river. This facility allows you to learn the mechanism of neutralization through the experience of pH measurement, as well as the creation of free craft (100 years stone) where pictures and characters are raised using the spring quality of Kusatsu Onsen.

Inside the Great Dome is just the tropics. There are also the world's smallest pygmy marmosets and ruffed lemurs, the now-talked-about contact with capybara and a hand-and foot-bath service by Gala Rufa called Doctor Fish. A rare domestic botanical garden where you can also view with your pets.

A park that maintained the area around the west river, one of the sources of Kusatsu. Hot water sprung from here and there among the rumbling rocks flows as a river of hot springs, dotted with hot water pools. A promenade is provided to sew between them, and you can take a walk while enjoying the desolate and unique landscape. The promenade leads to the Kawara open-air bath in the west at the back of the park, and in front of it is a literary monument, a bust of Dr. Belz, and a visitor center featuring the nature of Kusatsu.

The artist, Taro Okamoto, supervised the design. A section of the Kusatsu festival is carved on the sidewalk, which is lined with tiles, and the name of 100 famous people who visited Kusatsu from Nihon Taketoshi to Atsumi Kiyoshi is engraved on the stone fence "Hundred Monuments". The redevelopment of the water field started in 2012 (2012), "Gozanoyu" in the spring of 2013 (2013), "Yuji Square" in the summer of 2014 (2014), and 2015 (2015) in the spring, the new birth "Hekinoyu" was completed. In 2016 (2016) and 2017 (2017), the lighting of the Takahata and Nishi-no-Kawara Park was renewed.

On the west of Kawara-dori, which leads from the water field to the west river park, is about 10-15 minutes slowly walking. There are restaurants and souvenir shops on both sides. There are many people walking in yukata in a snow pack, so you can enjoy the sight of a hot spring town.

The Tokugawa 8th Shogun Yoshimune pumped the hot springs of Kusatsu, packed them into barrels and let them carry them all the way to Edo, but a wooden frame indicating the place of pumping on that occasion.

A monument to the route that runs from Ueda to Kusatsu to Nikko, named "Nihon Romantic Road", derived from the Romantic Road that runs from Rotenburg to Füssen, Germany.

This punctuation, which stands beside the Dr. Belz bust, is a chant of the poet Akishurako Suwon in honor of Dr. Belz's virtues.