Onsen - Japanese hot springs

Onsen ( 温泉 (おんせん) ) is one of the best things in life, if you ask me. Definitely an experience to have in Japan. Connecting with nature, connecting with tradition. Relaxing body and mind in the healing magical water. Sometimes I would get a car, drive far into the mountains just to stay at a remote onsen. Or after a ski trip - you go ski to the mountains, right? That’s also where the onsens are! OR after hiking, or even a bicycle ride from Tokyo can get you to a hot spring.

Look, there is even a unicode character meaning onsen, this one: ♨️. It is sometimes used as a topographic mark, along with a kanji for hot water - 湯, or just a hiragana for its reading - ゆ.

Explore the guide:

• Types of Onsen Baths: Outdoor rotenburo, indoor baths, private family baths (kashikiri), and mixed-gender konyoku.
• Onsen Towns: What makes a whole valley an onsen-gai, strolling in a yukata, and public bath-hopping.
• Onsen Water: Milky sulfur springs, iron-rich red waters, carbonated baths, and what each mineral profile does.
• Mystical Legends of Hot Springs: Injured white herons, mountain gods, and the folklore behind Japan’s oldest baths.