By the MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team

The popular Japanese movie Roman Baths II, which debuted in May featuring Japanese stars Abe Hiroshi and Ueto Aya, sparked widespread discussion. The film’s many distinctive onsen scenes have also become must-visit spots for fans. Next time you soak in an onsen in Japan, don’t miss the iconic settings from the classic scenes.

First up is the uniquely charming hot spring town—Kusatsu Onsen.

In the film, when Abe Hiroshi’s character arrives in modern-day Japan, he emerges from the onsen and is immediately sandwiched between wooden boards, leaving a deep impression on viewers. This is a unique onsen culture in Kusatsu known as “yu-neri,” or “hot water kneading.” By stirring the hot water with wooden planks, the temperature is slightly lowered. Called both “yu-neri” and a “Kusatsu specialty,” yu-neri performances are held daily at “Atsui-no-Yu.” Visitors can join in, humming the Kusatsu Festival tune, holding wooden planks, and trying their hand at yu-neri. Afterward, they even receive a “Yu-neri Certificate” as encouragement, making for a truly unique onsen experience. The waters around Kusatsu Onsen are rich in sulfur, salts, sulfates, and chloride, offering benefits such as relief from neuralgia, muscle pain, arthritis, and frozen shoulder. They also help with chronic digestive disorders, chronic skin conditions, arteriosclerosis, cuts, burns, and chronic gynecological issues.