The country is home to 27,000 natural hot spring sources, but a surge in tourism has left some onsen towns running low on water; leaving local officials feeling anything but zen. One of those ...

The water from several sources emerges at a supply facility on a hill overlooking the Dogo Onsen Honkan, the main wooden bathhouse of an ancient hot spring resort here in Ehime Prefecture.

“Our guests come here in order to relax and recuperate,” Sumie says leading me along creaking dark wooden floorboards to the stairs descending down to the onsen. Before dipping into the water ...

CHIKUSHINO, Fukuoka Prefecture--A long-standing onsen inn here is in hot water after being found to have violated a prefectural ordinance. The Futsukaichi Onsen Daimaru Besso inn only changed the ...

Hot springs, or onsen, are a big deal in Japan. Not to be confused with sento, which are usually public baths using heated tap water, onsen are comprised of volcanic spring water that's full of ...

The area is home to an onsen town of some of the country’s highest quality thermal water - but without the crowds - and ...

Its onsen (hot spring) culture is so prevalent that many of its senior citizens don’t have running water in their homes, preferring to use one of the myriad communal bathing houses nearby for ...

We’ve visited and stayed in all of those towns and in Ryokans that have specific hot water springs onsen too. For a hot water pool to be called an onsen, then the water has to contain at least ...

Without warning, my entire body was airborne. For a brief moment I was weightless, as if someone paused gravity. Before my brain was able to catch up, I slammed into the water, followed by a loud bang ...