all over Japan and abroad, and is often attended by members of the Japanese Imperial Household. on 7–8 May. The children of the kindergarten near the Buddhist temple of Kōsenji pull an elephant made of paper around the Yubatake in celebration of Buddha's birthday. on the first of June. Ice is brought from a cave in Mt. Shirane, which was formed by an eruption of the volcano, and is used to make tea. According to folklore, anyone who drinks this special tea will not get ill in the following year. held during the first three days of August. This traditional festival has its origins in the , which in accordance with the Chinese calendar is celebrated during the hottest time of the year on the day of the ox. According to the lore, those that bathe in an Onsen in the hour of the ox (one to three AM) will not get ill for one year. In contrast, today's ceremony is totally different: The goddess of Onsen descends the stairs at Kōsenji symbolizing the descent from heaven. She then gathers water from seven big hot springs in Kusatsu and distributes the water to the baths in Kusatsu. On the third day she ascends the stairs to Kōsenji, representing the ascent to heaven. Through this ceremony the blessing of the gods is granted, which will make sure that the springs won't run dry. Tour de Kusatsu (amateur bicycle race), , (hiking through a valley of snow walls several meters high), soccer and skiing events. Sports The Thespakusatsu Gunma football club, although formed in and representing Kusatsu in the Japanese football league system, actually plays in Maebashi. Souvenirs Yu no hana ("hot water flower") is a powder extracted from the hot water at the Yubatake and consists of dried mineral sediment (mostly sulfur), which enable one to recreate the onsen waters at home. is a kind of sweet made of a special sort of highland beans, which does not bear fruit below 700 meters above sea level. First the beans are dried, then put into water and finally they are cooked in sugar. The details of the making process are a company secret. Manjū is a well-known Japanese sweet, consisting of a pastry crust made of flour, rice flour and buckwheat and a filling made of Azuki bean paste, and steamed using the steam rising from the hot springs. Lakes and waterfalls