Kusatsu-juku was the fifty-second station on the Tokaido Road (following Ishibe-juku) and the sixty-eighth station (following Moriyama-juku) on the Nakasendo Road. During the Edo Period, Kusatsu was an important stage or shukuba post town at the crossroads of the Tokaido Road and Nakasendo Road where daimyo warlords and other dignitaries lodged during their travels to and from Edo (Tokyo). They stayed at the exclusive Honjin which still remains. More about Kusatsu here. MAP

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Annual festival held on April 29 to celebrate Kusatsu's history as a stage town on the Nakasendo and Tokaido Roads. Numerous events and activities are held such as flea markets, street & stage performances, and Japanese dances. The main highlight is the Kusatsu Jidai Gyoretsu procession of people dressed in historical costumes. Also see the video at YouTube. MAP

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World-class lake museum for the exhibition of Lake Biwa's history, fish and wildlife, coexistence with people, and a large lake-fish aquarium. It is also a research facility with a number of researchers and curators. Take a bus from JR Kusatsu Station. Open 9:30 am - 5 pm, closed Mon. and the day after a national holiday. Admission 750 yen for adults. Includes admission to the adjacent Mizunomori Garden. Also see my YouTube video here. MAP

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Huge lotus pond that used to bloom in summer next to Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. It stopped blooming from summer 2016, and experts say there's little chance of recovery. This is at the Mizu no Mori Water Garden (Suisei Shokubutsu Koen Mizu no Mori). MAP

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Other sights in Kusatsu, including the lake shore.

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