Video: 在草津的下雪天 A snowing day at Kusatsu
三月初與朋友一行9人同遊日本草津。先飛抵東京成田機場，購買JR東的3日通票，然後坐Narita Express到東京市，轉乘JR火車，坐「草津一號」到達草津駅，再乘坐JR巴士，直到草津的巴士總站。全程(由成田機場到草津巴士總站)約2.5小時.
At early Mar, I went to visit Kusatsu in Japan with 8 friends. After landing at Narita Airport, we purchased the JR East 3 days pass and took the Narita Express to the Tokyo city at which we changed to take JR train. When arriving the Kusatsu JR Station, we transfered to the JR bus and reached Kusatsu bus terminal directly. It took about 2.5hrs (from Narita Airport to Kusatsu bus terminal).
朋友已預訂了民宿，民宿的老板開車來巴士總站接我們。我們都住在民宿的上層，房間分別有洋式及和式兩款。住宿費是一泊二食，在舒適的大飯廳享用早餐及晚餐。We have reserved rooms at a pension. The pension owner drove the car to pick us up at the bus terminal. We accommodated at the upper floor of the pension. There were two types of rooms available - Western and Japanese styles. Price included accommodation with two meals, ie. breakfast and dinners, which could be enjoyed at the cozy dining room.
民宿有兩間湯屋，亦有一個露天風呂，還有一個腳湯池。In the pension, there two hot-spring bathrooms and an outdoor hot-spring pool as well as a foot-bath tub.
我們其中5人是次準備滑雪兩天，到埗的第二天早餐後，民宿老板便開車送他們往租用具及草津國際滑雪場。據這幾位「滑雪友」的「滑後感」，這滑雪場有不同程度的雪道，適合不同程度的滑雪者，且雪道寬敞，雪床豐厚，不多人不擠迫，收費又不高，幾位「滑雪友」都非常滿意，他們都很有興趣下次再來這裡滑雪。
Five among us were planning to ski for two days at Kusatsu. On the next day after arrival, after having breakfast, the pension owner drove to send them to rent equipment and the Kusatsu International Ski Resort. The five friends were very satisfied with the ski resort.........trails of different slope for different levels of players, wide trails with thick layers of snow, not over-crowded and very reasonable price. They were interested to come back here again for ski in the future.
到草津觀光，湯畑是必到的地方。這裡有一排排的木製管道，運送源源不絕的溫泉水，所以這地點常有一簾從溫泉水霧起的水氣。
For sightseeing at Kusatsu, Yubatake is a must-go. There were rows of wooden pipelines, transporting the endless onsen water; hence, there was always a layer of steam floating in the area.
適逢到達草津那個星期，湯畑一帶晚上會亮燈，我們便夜遊湯畑。
It happened that during the week of our viist, Yubatake would be lighted up in the evening. We have also walked around it at night.
從湯畑向上行，可到達光泉寺的入口。爬上光泉寺入口的梯級，便可看到湯畑的全景，於是，我日景、夜景都去看看。
Walk up along Yubatake, we could reach the entrance of a Kosenji Temple (Light of the Hot Springs Temple). After climbing up the flights of stairs, we could see a full top view of Yubatake. Hence, I went there during day and night.
在草津路旁見到的迷你雪人 A mini snowman at Kusatsu
草津的西之河原公園
Sai-no-kawara Park
草津是有名的溫泉區，在「日本溫泉100選」中，草津已有10年蟬聯第一位。在湯畑一帶都有很多大大小小的湯屋/浴池浸温泉。其中在湯畑之上，光泉寺旁的御座之湯，在2013年全新開張，500日元便可在此享用大浴池。另外，大滝乃湯是草津具名氣及人氣的浴場，費用是800日元，它的規模較大，除了室內男/女湯池，還有露天風呂。這些浴場都可向客人提供毛巾，但要額外收費，顧客亦可自備毛巾。
Kusatsu is famous of its onsen. Kusatsu Onsen is elected by the Japan's top travel agents as country's No. 1 hot spring for 10 consecutive years in the 100 Best Hot Springs in Japan! There were lots of bathing houses around Yubatake for enjoying hot-spring. "Goza no Yu" was a bathing house located at the upper part of Yubatake, next to the entrace of Kosenji Temple. The two-storey-wooden building was opened in in 2013. Admission fee is 500yen. On the other hand, "Otaki no Yu" was the leading reputed bathing house in Kusatsu. It is a large-scale bathing house with both indoor and outdoor facilities. Most of these bathing houses could supply towels for customers but at a charge. Or, customers could bring their own towels.
在草津有兩個公供湯屋可選擇「時間湯」， 是一種從古流傳至今的泡湯治療法。
在千代及地蔵之湯，從9am-19pm，共有4節，在湯長的號令下、進行分時段到熱湯中泡澡體驗傳統的「時間湯」。因源泉溫度高達65度，須用長木板來回攪拌泉水散熱，讓泉水溫度降至適合入浴的48度。這個攪拌泉水的儀式就叫做「湯揉」。而在48度的泉水裡泡3分鐘，則是經過長年研究的結果，為最安全、最具療效的泡湯法。
我們(5個女生)去地蔵之湯，它是位於地蔵神社旁，看上去好像是比千代之湯大一點。到達時見到外面有日本大叔在練功熱身, 好似氣功咁, 原來佢是準備浸時間湯，好認真喔! 然後見有幾位男士走進了浸時間湯的湯屋，查問之下，原來是男女共浴。我們幾個女子組温泉友未有這個膽量，唯有放棄。下次再去草津的話，要去千代之湯試試看是否多數是女生。
In Kusatsu, there are two public bathing houses with "Jikan Yu", a historical Japanese bathing style for body health.
At Chiyo-no-Yu and Jizo-no-Yu, there were 4 sessions for Jikan Yu from 9am-19pm. At about 65 degrees Celsius, Kusatsu's spring water was too hot for bathing. To make it possible to bathe in the water, the bathwater was stirred with long planks to cool it to a bearable 48 degrees. This act of stirring the water was called "Yumomi." After years of research, three minutes in 48 degree water was found to be the safest, most effective method of bathing for body health. Bathers followed the bathouse leader's instructions to have timed bath in the hot water.
We, five ladies, went to Jizo-no-Yu which located just next to the Jizo Temple and it looked-like to be larger than Chiyo-no-Yu. When arrived, there was a man doing warm-up for preparation for Jikan Yu. Then, there were a few more men entering the house for Jikan Yu. We approached to enquire but found that the Jikan Yu bathing house was only one for both men and women together. We did not have the courage and finally have given up. If we visited Kusatsu again, we would go to Chiyo-no-Yu to try see see if it is majority of women there.
在湯畑一帶及附近的街道都有不少商舖，有些更是多年老誌號，賣的東西各式各樣，糖果/和果子、各類小吃、手工藝品、生活百貨等等，我們悠閒地逛了兩個下午。
There were shops around Yubatake and the nearby streets, some of them with years of history. A great variety was sold, eg. candies/confectionery, snacks, handicrafts, living commodities, etc. We have spent shopping there relax and comfortably in two afternoons.
在河原通內有一店布偶熊工房"Cotton Bear"，除了有大大的BearBear坐在店內長椅上，還有可愛的貓頭鷹布偶，有單一隻、一雙一對、一家三口/四口/五口的組合，更可提供特別綉字服務(只需十數分鐘)，手信佳品。In one of the shopping streets, there was a shop called "Cotton Bear". Besides the big Bear sitting on the long bench in the shop, there were many owl dolls - some single, in pairs, in groups of three, four or five. The shop offered custom made addition of names on the owls (which took about 10 minutes), a perfect choice as gifts.
據說黑豆可以補血安神、烏髮養顏、嫩白皮膚且抗衰老。在河原通近片岡鶴美術館那端，有一間豆吉本舖，有很多不同的豆製產品，還有黑豆茶可試飲，一小匙便可沖一大杯，豆香撲鼻，所以也花了幾百日元試試為肌膚及頭髮惡補一下。
Heard that black beans were good for health to help relieving anxiety, blood generation, growing black hair, whitening skin and anti-aging. At the shopping street near Kusatsu Hotel, there is the shop selling different kinds of beans products. Customers could also try tasting the black bean tea. A small teaspoon of black bean powder could be enough for making a large cup of tea which delivered an attractive aroma. Hence, I also spent a few hundred yen to buy a bag (ha......to "rescue" my skin and hair).
在河原通上有很多賣饅頭的店舖，有一些還會提供試食，饅頭大多是紅豆餡，但亦有一些其他選擇如紫芋、抺茶、蕃薯等。另外，今次還發現了一樣頗美味的蘋果脆餅，脆餅中央還壓上芳香的蘋果片，難怪它奪得2014年的 ITQI Superior Taste大獎。
Along the shopping streets, there were many shops selling steam buns; some of them offered free tasting. Most of the steam buns were having red beans as fillings but there were some other choices such as taro, green tea, sweet potato, etc. Also, we had discovered a very delicious snack which was apply crispy biscuits. A slice of crispy apple was pressed into the centre of the biscuit; no wonder why it won the 2014 ITQI Superior Taste Award.
我們在湯畑旁的一間烏東麵館「上州麵平野家」，享受了一頓美味的午餐。這麵館的一個特色是大部份的定食都有舞茸，麵類有烏東、有蕎麥麵，且餐牌都有照片，點餐時可留意定食是「溫」的(即熱食) 或「冷」的(即冷麵形式)。
We had an enjoyable lunch at Restaurant Hiranoya, a noodle shop located just next to Yubatake. Most of its sets included Maitake which was a kind of tasty mushroom; choice of noodles could be udon or soba. There were photos on the menu to show some of the sets. There were indication of whether the set would be served warm (溫) or cold (冷).
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