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.

A visit to the forest may do more than calm the mind. It could strengthen the body’s immune system. A Japanese study has found that “Shinrinyoku”, or forest bathing, helps improve natural killer (NK) ...

Forget the ocean. In Ibusuki, a beachside city on Kyushu Island in Japan’s subtropical south, it’s all about the sand. Not the dark color of the sandy granules or even the length or width of the ...