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 ...

Japanese hot springs—better known as onsens—are prized for their zen experience, with travelers coming from around the world to lounge in natural pools and bliss out. The country is home to 27,000 ...

Hot springs with ocean views? You'll find that and more in Beppu, Japan. Soak in the three-Michelin-starred baths of Hyotan Onsen. Learn more about the craft of traditional bamboo weaving by taking a ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. We’ve pieced together a remarkably detailed timeline of ...

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 ...

Hidden in a deep valley at the foot of Mount Gassan, Hijiori Onsen offers the kind of stillness that feels rare today. The small hot spring village seems untouched by the passing years: wooden inns, ...

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 ...