A chance to enjoy the beauty of winter in Kusatsu Onsen!
Kusatsu Onsen will present special events for foreign visitors, including those who live in Japan, from February 4th to 10th, 2008. You can register several attractive events, including a free chair-lift ticket for Kusatsu International Snow & Spa Resort!

Event 1

Chair-Lift Tickets for the First 20 People
Kusatsu Onsen will provide Free Chair-Lift Tickets* for Kusatsu International Snow & Spa Resort for the first 20 applicants. (*One coupon per person, which can be exchanged for one free one-day chair-lift ticket between Feb. 4th – 10th. One-day tickets for Feb. 8th, 9th, and 10th also include night time skiing.)

Event 2

Snow Shoe Tour and Hot Wine Party
Under the guidance of a veteran nature guide, you can enjoy a walk in a snowy forest with snow shoes! With the snow shoes, you can freely explore the forest. This unusual experience will make you aware of another world of natural beauty! On the way, we will create a snow table and open a one-day café, where hot wine, cheese, and cookies will be served.

Date: February 9 (Sat.) 9:00-11:30 AM

Place: National forest

Meeting place to be announced (close to the center of Kusatsu Onsen)

Quota: 20 people

Participants need to bring clothes, shoes, gloves, hat, and other personal items for very cold weather.

Event fee: free

Event 3

Onsen Town Guided Tour by Tourist Supporters
During the Welcome Week, Kusatsu Onsen Tourist Supporters (volunteer guides for foreign visitors) will guide you around the center of Kusatsu Onsen (around “Yubatake (湯畑)”). Tours will be held at times requested by applicants (depending on the availability of the Tourist Supporters). The tour time is 30 – 60 minutes. If you need some help, supporters can also assist you shopping and eating in the town.

Tour fee: free

Tour language: Japanese or English

Event 4

“Snow Candles and Oshiruko Night” Event
A chance to appreciate a romantic night view of a snow-covered landscape with 100 candles in the Kusatsu International Snow & Spa Resort. Whilst admiring the candles, delicious Oshiruko (お汁粉) (Japanese hot sweet red bean broth) will be served.

Date: February 8 (Fri.) 7:30-8:30 PM

Place: Kusatsu International Snow & Spa Resort

Quota: 30 people

Event fee: free

Event 5

Making “100-Year Stone (百年石)” Event
At this event, you can draw on sliced limestone using colorful paint. After painting, the limestone will be soaked in the Kusatsu famous strong acid hot spring water for about three days, and amazingly, the image you drew will stand out! The finished limestone will be delivered to you (in Japan) in a week.

Date: February 8 (Fri.) 2:00-4:00 PM

Place: Environment Experience Amusement Museum (7 min walk from Yubatake)

Quota: 20 people

Event fee: free, except the delivery fee of the finished limestone (about 500 -600 Yen)

Event 6

Special Present from Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association
During the Welcome Week, Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association will give foreign visitors a small convenient card case with the logo mark of Kusatsu Onsen. Please visit the Information Counter of “Michinoeki (Road Station)” to get one!


For further information and registration,
please send the following information to　inq.kusatsu@gmail.com.
The Kusatsu Welcome Week Office will reply to your email ASAP. Thank you!
1) Name
2) The event number you want to register for.
Eg. Event 1 (chair-lift ticket) and Event 2 (Snow shoe tour)

For Event 3, please fill out the date and the time you want to have a tour.
3) Nationality
4) Age and Sex
5) Mailing Address
6) Mobile Telephone Number
7) E-mail address
8) Have you ever visited Kusatsu? If yes, how many times?

This tour finished in March, 2007. We wish you to join us next time.

Kusatsu Onsen is located in Gunma prefecture, approximately a 3 hour train ride from Tokyo. It is one of the most famous and popular Onsen (hot spring) resorts in Japan, whose waters offer healing powers from deep inside the earth. Kusatsu Onsen's waters have been flowing for centuries and it boasts the highest water flow in all of Japan.
The "Kusatsu Onsen FUREAI Tour"is planned and organized by the Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association as part of its inbound tourism promotion project. Kusatsu Onsen's Tourism Supporters (local volunteers) will guide you on a casual and friendly tour around the Yubatake,or hot water field, which is the largest hot spring source in Kusatsu located at the center of the town. The Tourism Supporters will present the highlights of Kusatsu Onsen, mainly in Japanese.
Kusatsu Onsen Toursim Association would like to invite 9 pairs of foreign guests who have at least a daily conversation level of Japanese proficiency for the event as tourism monitors. For the monitors, 1 night in a Ryokan ﾐ a traditional Japanese style hotel is offered for free!

* "FUREAI" means "kindred spirits" in Japanese.