Kusatsu Onsen Ryokan Stay — Traditional Inn Experience

**Booking and costs:** Ryokan charge per person, not per room, and the rate always includes two meals. Weekends cost 20-30% more than weekdays. For Naraya expect ¥30,000-50,000 per person; Yubatake Souan runs ¥20,000-30,000; budget options start around ¥15,000. Book directly through ryokan websites (most are Japanese-only, use Chrome's translate function) or through Ikyu.com or Relux, which aggregate higher-end options. Mention dietary restrictions when booking — vegetarian, allergies, no raw fish — because the kitchens plan kaiseki courses days in advance. **Room selection:** Japanese-style rooms have tatami floors and futon that appears while you're at dinner, laid out by staff you never see. Bigger ryokan offer Western-style beds in rooms that mix tatami and carpet, useful if your back can't handle futons. Room size is measured in tatami mats (jo): 8-10 mats is standard (about 13-16 square meters), 12+ mats is spacious. Request a room facing the yubatake or mountains in the booking notes — not guaranteed but often granted. **Kaiseki dinner:** Served 18:00 or 19:00, either in your room or a private dining area. The courses come one by one over 90 to 120 minutes: seasonal appetizer, sashimi (maybe tuna or local river fish), something grilled (fish or Joshu wagyu), a hot pot, mountain vegetables, rice, miso soup, pickles, and a small dessert. Gunma specialties include konjac (a translucent yam jelly, strange texture), yuba (tofu skin), and river fish like ayu or iwana. Portions look small but add up — pace yourself. Breakfast is similar but simpler: grilled fish, rice, miso soup, pickles, natto if you want it. **Bathing protocol:** Most ryokan have indoor and outdoor baths, gender-separated. Larger ones add private family baths (kashikiri-buro) you can reserve for 30-45 minutes. Wash completely at the low shower stations before entering any bath — sit on the stool, soap up, rinse off. Then soak 10-15 minutes, exit to cool down, soak again. Don't bring your towel into the water; fold it on your head or leave it poolside. Tattoos are becoming more accepted but check the ryokan's policy; some require covering them. Best times to bathe: after dinner (21:00-22:00) and before breakfast (6:00-7:00), when the baths are quietest.