It can be hard to find a good, authentic, rustic onsen hot spring complex that isn’t geared towards tourists in Tokyo, so whenever we find one we’re always tempted to keep it a secret. However, one of ...

Just a ferry or flight away from Tokyo is a secret island escape with excellent snorkeling, volcanic geology, healing hot ...

With more and more overseas travelers seeking out day trips to the Japanese countryside while visiting big cities, it’s becoming harder to find hidden hot springs that aren’t crowded with tourists.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I specialize in luxury hotels, Latin America and adventure travel. If tropical heat is a top item on your vacation checklist, ...

Dōgo Onsen is Ehime Prefecture’s prime tourism draw. The onsen hot spring district, two kilometers from prefectural capital Matsuyama’s center, is filled with old-fashioned ryokan inns and restaurants ...

On a recent trip to Hakone, Japan, I found my Zen in a traditional hot springs bath. And I didn't even mind being nude. Here's what to know about the onsen's rich history. I’ve never been a bath ...

Forming part of the Kii Peninsula, and just a few hours south of Osaka, Wakayama invites travellers to slow down and reconnect — not just with Japan, but with themselves. Mount Kōya (Kōyasan): ...

An increasing number of municipalities have raised the “bathing tax” rate on overnight visitors at “onsen” hot spring resorts as a quick and fairly easy way to raise revenues. The standard rate is 150 ...

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, ...