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With the manager Susumu, in front of his home — With the manager *Susumu*, in front of his home

We visited Beppu Onsen “Kasuga Onsen” in Ekimae Honmachi, Beppu, Ōita. The hot spring source was drilled by a group of the locals in 1919, and named as “Kasuga” that is the name of this street.

This is the reception, it is staffed in the morning, but unstaffed in the afternoon. Although the entrance fee is cheap (JPY 100), Susumu says make sure to insert the fee into the box.

The dressing room is integrated with the bathroom (there is nothing to separate). You can use a compartment to keep your belongings.

The bathtub is filled with clear hot spring water. Although the temperature is a little bit hot, scoop and pour the water over your head again and again, that will soon soothe you. Susumu says “We’re not sure about the health benefit because it just has been a part of our life. We used to drink it as well.” He also says bathing at Kasuga Onsen can warm your body thoroughly, and you can go back home with your upper body naked even in a white winter day.

The temperature at the hot spring source is 57°C|134.6°F. You can adjust the temperature by pulling or pushing this wood bar. Many frequent bathers prefer hot bath, even 40°C|104°F is not hot enough and rater cool for them. However, they say “Don’t hesitate to add the cool water if the bath is too hot.”

Taiji (the name of the man in the bath) is 86 years old and manages a watch store nearby. As the public bathhouse he used to go closed a month ago, he comes to Kasuga Onsen instead from then.

A Buddha statue is placed in the bathroom, the names of people who opened this onsen are carved.

He is the manager Susumu who is 81 years old. He has been living in this district since he was born, and the locals call him as a “living dictionary.” Every day, he comes to Kasuga Onsen at 4:30pm and enjoys a chat with friends. He really welcomes visitors, but he emphasizes that everyone including both the locals and visitors should follow the manners. He says, these day, many foreign tourists visit Kasuga Onsen, and often their manners are better than Japanese tourists. As a Japanese, it is sad to hear that. We Japanese should follow the rule first if we want foreign tourists to follow that.