Located across from the Kusatsu Yubatake Onsen is a temple known as Kosenji.
To get to the area, you will need to go up a few stairs and one will want to take it slow if you are going in the winter, as there are snow on the steps. So, grab on to the rails for your safety!
Because of the higher elevation, Kosenji is popular for photographers to get an overhead look at the hot springs from up above. May it be day nor evening, one can definitely get good shots of Yubatake.
You will notice two paths, one going straight up the stairs and another to go right. For now, I will go up the stairs, because the are multiple pathways at this location.
Kosenji is said to have been rebuilt in the year 1200 and was created as a Shingon Buddhist Temple (as one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra).
The Bell Tower which is rung on New Year’s Eve every year
Near the stone statues, you will see a monument to the poet Basho (a haiku master who praised the healing properties of Kusatsu Onsen. This is the second oldest monument to Basyo located in Gunma Prefecture.
As mentioned, the area is popular among photographers who want to take photos of the Kusatsu area at a higher elevation. Daytime is cool, but I was told the evening is even better due to the illuminated onsen area.
I will showcase more on what one can see at Kosenji in Kusatsu in my next post!
