Driving Trip across Gunma Prefecture

Yesterday we left Maebashi to go pick up Aiko from Nagano (where she lives). We stayed off the highway, and made a couple of stops along the way. The roads were incredibly steep with many sharp turns. I am so glad that I don't get car sick. In Japan, you have to pay to use the highways. They are much quicker because you aren't climbing up and down mountains. We used a highway on our way back to Maebashi.

Natural sulfur hot springs. The water temperature is 60C - 140F. It is this almost glow-in-the-dark yellow/green color, and also smells like eggs. 

Town surrounding the hot springs

A public foot bath using the hot springs. It felt like you were cooking your own feet. I couldn't really get my feet in the water. The Japanese had no problem, and their legs came out bright red. I don't know how they did it.

Hot spring pouring into the foot bath.

I really liked how this building looked. It was all a restaurant.

These plaques went all the way around the hot spring. These are all famous people that have visited the hot spring. This one dates back to 721 when a famous monk came.

This is Masahito and Masako, haha! They asked me to take this picture for them.

This spring has many health benefits, so this is a way to cool the water without losing any of those benefits.

Cooling the water with the boards. We lifted them in and out of the water.

Traditional water-cooling uniform?

This is inside a ramen shop that was facing the main square. It was the best ramen I've ever had in my life! They used a soy-sauce base.

Looking at the menu.

This was our second stop. It's at the foot of a volcano. Many years ago it erupted, and threw down thousands of black rock. They have now made it into a park and Buddhist temple area. This little guy is called an "oni" or demon. People used to believe that these guys were the ones who threw down the rocks.

 Buddhist temple and volcano in the distance.

This is the name of the park.