2 Best Sights in The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast, Japan

This is the often unbearably hot public bath next door to the yu-batake (hot springs field) that is popularly known as a "fever bath." You can't actually bathe here, but you can watch one of six daily yumomi shows in which locals in colorful traditional garb churn the waters with long wooden planks until they reach a comfortable temperature. You can also sign up for a Yumomi Experience and try churning the waters yourself. It's about 20 minutes of churning and fairly tiring, but you'll be enthusiastically encouraged by local yumomi pros.

For a soak in the open air, try this expansive bath at the western end of Kusatsu village, which has pleasing scenery by day and lots of stars by night. Known for its milky waters, the bath can hold up to 100 people at a time. It's a 15-minute walk west from the Kusatsu bus terminal.