Overview

Choose between two fully private rental villas in the forested highlands of Kusatsu Onsen. THE LOOKOUT KUSATSU and THE HIDEOUT KUSATSU each welcome only one group at a time, allowing you to enjoy the living spaces, kitchen, and natural hot spring bath without sharing them with anyone outside your group.

Both villas receive the rare Wata-no-Yu spring from Kusatsu Onsen. The free-flowing water remains available throughout your stay, so you can bathe early in the morning, after sightseeing, or late at night without following public bath hours.

THE LOOKOUT KUSATSU combines Mount Asama views, space for up to eight people, a private sauna, and entertainment for time indoors. THE HIDEOUT KUSATSU offers a Japanese old-house atmosphere, a large tatami living area, and space for up to ten people. Both place you around five minutes by car from Yubatake.

Accommodation

THE LOOKOUT KUSATSU has two separate bedrooms and accommodates up to eight people. The Western-style bedroom contains two bunk beds, while the Japanese room can be prepared with three single futons. One additional futon can be placed in the living room when you need the full sleeping capacity.

The living room measures around 12 tatami mats and has large windows facing Mount Asama and the surrounding forest. During the day, you can watch the light move across the mountains. After dark, the highland setting gives you a good chance to see the stars when the sky is clear. A pellet stove brings the glow of a real flame into the room during colder stays.

THE HIDEOUT KUSATSU accommodates up to ten people across two bedrooms. Its design preserves the character of a Japanese old house, with tatami, exposed wooden features, built-in furniture, and a large living and dining room measuring around 20 tatami mats. Futon bedding is prepared in the Japanese room when you stay with a larger group.

The traditional irori hearth forms part of THE HIDEOUT’s interior design, but you cannot light or use it. A stove keeps the villa warm during winter.

Both villas give you the entire building, so you can gather in the shared living room while still having separate sleeping areas. Towels, toothbrushes, and basic personal amenities are provided.

Dining

Both villas offer self-catering stays without a restaurant or meal service. You can bring ingredients from local shops and prepare meals whenever it suits your schedule.

THE LOOKOUT has a full kitchen with a gas hob, cookware, plates, glasses, cutlery, and other dining equipment. An electric indoor barbecue grill lets you cook at the table without going outside. A portable IH hob and cooking pot are also available, making hot pot especially enjoyable during the colder months.

THE HIDEOUT also includes a kitchen with cooking equipment, tableware, a refrigerator, microwave, kettle, and hob. You can prepare daily meals, enjoy an indoor barbecue with the electric grill, or place the portable hob and pot on the dining table for a shared meal.

Outdoor barbecues are not permitted because both villas stand near neighbouring homes. Indoor cooking equipment gives you a practical alternative throughout the year.

Onsen and Wellness

Both villas have a completely private indoor bath supplied with Wata-no-Yu, one of the rarer sources in Kusatsu Onsen. The natural water flows continuously and remains available 24 hours a day from check-in until check-out.

Wata-no-Yu has a soft feel and may contain visible yu-no-hana, the natural mineral particles that form in hot spring water. Because each bath belongs only to your group, you can soak without crowds, gender divisions, or fixed bathing sessions.

At THE LOOKOUT, the bath faces the surrounding natural scenery through privacy-treated windows. You can raise the blinds and enjoy the view while maintaining privacy. The bath is indoors rather than open-air.

THE LOOKOUT also has a private one-person far-infrared sauna. It reaches approximately 70°C to 80°C, with the heater positioned close enough to create strong warmth in the compact space. You cannot pour water over the heater, so löyly is not available.

THE HIDEOUT has a large indoor bath with enough space for around three adults to bathe comfortably. Its free-flowing Wata-no-Yu water is also available throughout your stay. THE HIDEOUT does not have a sauna.

Guests with Tattoos

You can use the natural hot spring baths at both villas if you have tattoos. Each bath is completely private and reserved only for your group. You can also use THE LOOKOUT’s private sauna with tattoos.

Facilities

THE LOOKOUT includes a large living room, pellet stove, full kitchen, indoor electric barbecue grill, portable IH hob, cooking pot, projector, high-speed Wi-Fi, work monitor, original puzzle experience, and board games. You can watch films, online videos, and other streaming entertainment on the large projector screen. A one-person sauna and private indoor hot spring bath complete the villa’s wellness facilities.

THE HIDEOUT includes a large Japanese-style living and dining room, two bedrooms, kitchen, indoor electric barbecue grill, portable cooking equipment, high-speed Wi-Fi, work monitor, heating, and a private indoor hot spring bath. The irori hearth is decorative and cannot be used.

Towels, toothbrushes, tableware, cookware, and basic household equipment are provided at both villas. Each villa has parking for up to two vehicles. THE HIDEOUT’s designated parking area is a short walk from the building.

Pets can stay at both villas under the applicable pet conditions. At THE LOOKOUT, your pet must remain around the entrance and living area and cannot enter the bedrooms or use the beds.

Activities

Spend your time at THE LOOKOUT soaking in Wata-no-Yu, warming up in the private sauna, watching films on the projector, playing board games, or working through the villa’s puzzle experience. Large windows bring views of Mount Asama, morning light, forest scenery, and clear night skies into the living room.

At THE HIDEOUT, you can enjoy the atmosphere of a Japanese old house, relax on the tatami, prepare meals together, or take repeated baths throughout the day. High-speed Wi-Fi and a work monitor also make a longer working stay possible.

Yubatake is around five minutes away by car, giving you easy access to the centre of Kusatsu Onsen. You can watch the hot spring water flow through the wooden channels, explore nearby shops, walk through Sainokawara Park, or visit the town’s public bathing facilities.

The surrounding highlands also offer seasonal forest scenery, walking routes, winter snow, and access to Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort. After your outing, you can return to your private villa without needing to follow restaurant or communal bath schedules.

Additional Features

THE LOOKOUT KUSATSU accommodates up to eight people, while THE HIDEOUT KUSATSU accommodates up to ten. Both are private, self-catering villas with two bedrooms, 24-hour free-flowing Wata-no-Yu baths, indoor cooking facilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, pet-friendly arrangements, and parking for two vehicles.

Check-in begins at 15:00, and check-out is by 10:00. You need to collect your key by 20:30. Roads and paths around the villas become dark after sunset, so arriving before nightfall makes access easier.

THE HIDEOUT stands above around 20 steps, and the route can become slippery. Comfortable footwear and a backpack are easier to manage than a large wheeled suitcase.

To respect the surrounding residential area, you need to keep noise low during the evening. Outdoor barbecues, fireworks, loud music, and parties are not permitted.