Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal

Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal (Japanese: 草津温泉バスターミナル, Hepburn: Kusatsu Onsen Basu Tāminaru), or Kusatsu Onsen Station (草津温泉駅, Kusatsu Onsen-eki), is a bus terminal located near Kusatsu Onsen in the town of Kusatsu, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. It is managed by Kusatsu Bus Terminal Company in a joint venture between JR Bus and the Kusatsu municipal government. JR Bus, Seibu Bus, and Kusakaru Kotsu operate bus services at the terminal.

Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal

草津温泉バスターミナル
Kusatsu Onsen Station
General information
Other namesKusatsu Onsen Station (草津温泉駅)
LocationKusatsu, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture
Japan
Coordinates36.620833°N 138.596444°E / 36.620833; 138.596444
Operated byKusatsu Bus Terminal Co. Ltd.
Platforms9 bus bays (2nd floor)
Other information
WebsiteOfficial website (in English)
History
Opened11 December 1935 (1935-12-11)
Previous namesJoshu Kusatsu Station (上州草津駅)
Location
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal is located in Gunma Prefecture
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal
Location within Gunma Prefecture
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal is located in Japan
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal (Japan)

History

From the Taishō era until World War II, many railway lines were constructed around Japan, though the country's acute topography led many bus routes to substitute train lines. The Joshu Kusatsu Line was one of many bus lines connecting Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station with Kusatsu Onsen, Yudanaka Station, Karuizawa Station, and Mount Kusatsu-Shirane.

The bus terminal was opened on 11 December 1935 as Joshu Kusatsu Station (上州草津駅, Jōshū Kusatsu-eki) with the commencement of bus service on the Joshu Kusara Line (上州草津線, Jōshū Kusatsu-sen) to Joshu Otsu Station (上州大津駅, Jōshū Ōtsu-eki) in Naganohara.[1] The "Joshu" in the name was intended to avoid confusion with Kusatsu Station in Shiga Prefecture on the Tōkaidō Main Line.

The bus terminal was renamed to Kusatsu Onsen Station on 1 June 1962, following the closure of the Kusatsu Onsen train station.

Station layout
The MARS ticket office

The main concourse and gates (of which there are 9) are on the 2nd floor, along with a ticket office, internet terminals, vending machines, and a coffee and souvenir shop. There is a restaurant and tourist information desk on the 1st floor and a hot spring library on the 3rd floor.

There is a MARS ticket office operated by JR East, which sells railway tickets (including limited express tickets) for use at the nearby Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station, as well as tickets for the bus service that connects the Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal with Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station. The ticket office also sells tickets for Seibu Bus and Kusakaru Kotsu bus services.

Bus services
Buses in bus bays
Gate No.NameIntermediate stopsTerminalCompanyNote
1 Charter and express buses
2, 3, 4 Kusatsu Line Joshu Otsu Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station JR Bus Kanto Passengers with a valid Japan Rail Pass are able to ride for free.
5Joshu Yumeguri expressway busIkaho Onsen, Nerima Station, Shinjuku Highway Bus TerminalTokyo StationJR Bus
Tokyo Yumeguri expressway bus
Shibuya-Karuizawa/Kusatsu Line expressway bus Futako-tamagawa Station Shibuya Station Ueda Bus, Tokyu Transsés, Keio Bus
Yokohama/Shin-Yokohama - Karuizawa/Kusatsu Line expressway bus Shin-Yokohama Station, Yokohama Station Tama-plaza Station Ueda Bus, Tokyu Bus, Sotetsu Bus
Tamagawa-josui/Tachikawa Line expressway busTamagawa-Jōsui StationTachikawa StationChikuma Bus
Blue Liner Kusatsu Onsen expressway busTakasaki Station, Kawagoe StationŌmiya Station (Saitama)Koei Kotsu
Dts Line expressway bus Yashio Station, Ōsaki Station Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu Dts creation At Yashio Station, passengers are able to transfer onto Shirakobato (bound for Narita International Airport and operated by Tobu Bus Central), or Tsukuba (bound for Tsukuba Station and operated by Kantō Railway).
6 Shirane-kazan Line Sesshōkawara Shirane-kazan[2] Kusakaru Kotsu, JR Bus Kanto Suspended during winter. Passengers with a valid Japan Rail Pass are able to ride for free, with the exception of Kusakaru Kotsu-operated services.
Asama Shirane-kazan LineManza-Kazawaguchi StationKaruizawa StationSeibu Kankō Bus
7 Karuizawa Sennoiri Kusatsu LineShirane-kazan,[2] Manzaonsen, Manza-Kazawaguchi Station, Onioshidashi-enKaruizawa StationSeibu Bus
Express Kusakaru LineKita-Karuizawa StationKusakaru Kotsu
Kusakaru Hospital LineNishi-Agatsuma Welfare HospitalBound for Kita-Karuizawa Station during winter.
Asama Shirane-kazan Line Manza-Kazawaguchi Station, Sennoiri Seibu Kankō Bus
8, 9Kusatsu Onsen town buses[3]Circular routeKusatsu Onsen Bus TerminalJR Bus KantoFares at a flat rate of 100 yen.[4]

Former train station
Kusatsu Onsen Station

草津温泉駅
Kusatsu Electric Railway train
A Kusatsu Electric Railway train
General information
LocationKusatsu, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture
Japan
Operated byKusakaru Electric Railway
Line(s)Kusakaru Electric Railway Line
Connections
  • Bus stop
History
Opened19 September 1926 (1926-09-19)
Closed1 February 1962 (1962-02-01)
The site of the former Kusatsu Onsen Station

Located approximately 400 m (0.25 mi) south of the current Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, the original Kusatsu Onsen Station (草津温泉駅, Kusatsu Onsen-eki) was a train station on the Kusakaru Electric Railway Line that operated from 1926 through 1962. The site of the former station has since been turned into a park, with a monument dedicated to the station.[5]

References
  1. Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau, ed. (1935-12-09). 官報 [Kanpō (Japanese government gazette)] (in Japanese). 日本マイクロ写真. doi:10.11501/2959160. Retrieved 2023-02-21 – via National Diet Library.
  2. At the bus stop, passengers are able to transfer onto Nagaden Bus for Yudanaka Station via Hasuike and Shiga Kogen.
  3. ワンコインバス [One Coin Bus]. Kusatsu Onsen Tourism Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  4. 草津温泉町内巡回バス【路線図・時刻表】 [Kusatsu Onsen Round Bus (Route Map - Timetable)]. Town of Kusatsu (in Japanese). 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  5. 草軽電気鉄道　草津温泉駅跡. Kusatsu Skyland Hotel (in Japanese). 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.