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 ...

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, ...

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, ...

A new high-speed train stop unlocks Kaga, a destination for onsen, nourishing food and traditional crafts, as an easy-to-reach getaway from Japan’s capital. A riverside cafe pops up from spring ...

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 ...

“Come, I’m going to take you on a tour of hell,” my guide explained as we climbed into her van. With our hotel far behind us, the entire town of Beppu suddenly came into view through the windshield; ...

The Japanese region of Oita on the island of Kyushu is renowned for its hot springs. Far more than just natural baths, however, they’re places of healing and of community, linking the generations, ...

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 ...