There are more than 3,000 onsens in Japan, found throughout the country and these hot spring pools come in all shapes and sizes. There are outdoor pools, indoor pools and those that are traditional ...

Several Japanese cities are increasing the “bathing tax” for overnight visitors to onsen (hot spring) resorts, in an attempt to deal with rising tourism. This tax has been raised in regions including ...

Certain kinds of accommodation offer a window into the national soul. Step onto the flagstones of an ancient English inn, into the pine-panelled cosiness of an Alpine rifugio or beyond the gates of an ...

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.

Japan's famous onsen or hot springs were long considered "un-exportable", until an idea struck Naoki Mita one day: What if he could condense them like espresso coffee? Mita's Tokyo-based venture firm, ...