An onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring, featuring baths that are fuelled by geothermal activity beneath the Earth's surface. These baths, which can be found all over Japan due to the country's ...

As the cable car glides up the mountain in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture, the snow-covered fir trees below begin to transform, taking on a bulkier appearance as their green coats disappear under a mass ...

Making a creaking sound, the wooden entrance door opens, and Sumie Tamura is standing there with a friendly smile. "Irashaimase" - welcome - she says while bowing gracefully to greet me. Her ...

Thanks to the abundance of natural hot springs in Japan, bathing is an important part of Japanese culture. In fact, there are over 3,000 hot spring resorts across the country. While it’s easy to find ...

Bathing in an “Onsen,” or hot spring, should be on any bucket list for Japan, even if you aren’t a big wellness girlie — although the physical and mental benefits are definitely part of the draw. Each ...

For a brief moment, I feel like a Japanese snow monkey -- those furry, red-faced creatures that descend from the cliffs and forests of Nagano to sit and soak in hot spring water. Flakes fall around me ...

Japan’s rural inns offer far more than a bed for the night—they’re an immersion into the heart of Japanese hospitality, culture, and cuisine. On a recent walking tour through the Kunisaki Peninsula ...