Higashiagatsuma Onsen lies in the Agatsuma River valley of western Gunma, where the river carves its way through volcanic highlands between Narusawa and the spa cluster of the Kusatsu-Agatsuma region — one of Japan's most geothermally active zones and home to some of its most acidic and therapeutically distinctive spring waters. The surrounding landscape offers hiking through beech forests and along volcanic ridgelines with views toward the Joshinetsu Kogen highlands, while the valley's position on the rail and road connections between Takasaki and Nagano makes it a natural stop on journeys through Gunma's interior mountain world. The onsen's geothermal mineral waters draw from the same volcanic system that powers the extraordinary springs of neighboring Kusatsu, offering restorative bathing in one of Japan's most thermally blessed regions.
Insider tip — Higashiagatsuma town spreads along the Agatsuma River valley east of the volcanic highlands of Gunma, where silica-rich water at 42°C filters through dacitic volcanic tuff before emerging in the town's public bath facilities. The area is heavily forested with Japanese beech and maple, making autumn colour here among the most vivid in Kanto's mountain hinterland. The town also lies on the approach route to Kusatsu Onsen, Japan's most acidic hot spring resort, providing a gentler alkaline alternative. Pick up locally made konnyaku, the region's traditional jelly food, at roadside stands near the bathhouse.