Soak in the three-Michelin-starred baths of Hyotan Onsen. Learn more about the craft of traditional bamboo weaving by taking a class at the Bamboo Cultural Center. Take a thermal sand bath while ...

Japan’s famed hot springs, or onsen, are full of invisible tripwires, from nudity to tattoos. A certified onsen sommelier shares advice on how to best enjoy the experience.

It was a cold February day in northern Japan, snow piled high outside the onsen locker room windows as I slipped out of my clothes. Nervously, I stepped into the plumes of steam wafting from the next ...

It’s 5am and I’m naked on a mountainside. Night still holds sway over the sky, the air is thick with steam, and a single bead of sweat runs slowly down the back of my neck. The onsen (hot spring) I’m ...

I wrapped my yukata, a cloth kimono, around my naked body, pulling the left side of the fabric over the right, as instructed, and tied the obi sash securely at my waist. The hotel provided these robes ...

Japan’s major hot spring regions are facing water shortages, driven by a surge in tourism and the growing popularity of private-use baths. In response, many lodging facilities with hot springs are ...

WHITE STEAM rises from the waters of Okuhida Onsengo in snowy northern Japan. Each year thousands of bathers from across the country travel to soak in these hot springs. Down the road, meanwhile, the ...