From the "sushi capital" of Japan to an island ruled by cats, Tohoku offers a side of Japan most tourists never see ...

Nothing feels more rejuvenating after a strenuous hike than a long soak in a natural hot spring. Luckily, there are places in ...

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 ...

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 ...

“Come, I’m going to take you on a tour of hell,” my guide explained as we climbed into her van. With our hotel far behind us, the entire town of Beppu suddenly came into view through the windshield; ...

On a recent concert tour in Japan, I had the chance to visit several thermal baths and to chat with people about the tradition of bathing. I was fascinated by their differences with American spas.