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With more natural geothermal sources than any other country, Japan and its hot springs or 'onsen' are much more than just a hot bath. We present to you our guide on everything you need to know about them before going, from the various different types, and the etiquette you should follow, through to how you can enjoy this Japanese delight even if you have tattoos.
If you want to experience a different side of Japan than the one most tourists find, you should look outside the big cities. In lesser-known rural areas and remote islands, you can try life as a sake brewer for a few days, go canoeing and snorkeling in beautiful UNESCO areas, take part in daily life in a local village and go on a guided bike tour of a popular onsen town.
An easy train ride from the golden city of Kanazawa (in Ishikawa Prefecture) famed for its gold leaf, historical geisha & samurai districts, intricately detailed Kaga Yuzen kimono and picturesque Kenroku-en gardens is the charming and quaint onsen town of Yamashiro. Made even more accessible come March 16th 2024 due to the extended Hokuriku Shinkansen route, Yamashiro is a perfect way to extend one’s Japan holiday, see another side of the country and experience a quintessential onsen ryokan stay.
Furano and Biei are most famous for their picturesque rolling fields of lavender and other summer flowers, but there is actually plenty more to see and do in the area than simply admire its bucolic rural landscape.
A large prefecture on the Pacific Coast in the Tohoku region, Iwate is a former cultural and political centre of northern Japan with many surprises hidden up its sleeve.
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