On a recent concert tour in Japan, I had the chance to visit several thermal baths and to chat with people about the tradition of bathing. I was fascinated by their differences with American spas.

The Japanese onsen — natural hot spring bath — is often described as similar ...

As the cable car glides up the mountain in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture, the snow-covered fir trees below begin to transform, taking on a bulkier appearance as their green coats disappear under a mass ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Public bath Siebold no Yu against colorful sakura blossom of cherry tree at Ureshino onsen park. - blanscape/iStockphoto/Getty ...

These days, it’s hard not to know what an onsen town is. But back when I visited Japan for the third time in 2019, I had no idea this side of Japan even existed. It was only thanks to Papu’s ...

Arimasansoh Goshobessho’s treehouse has a wildly creative bird’s nest onsen. Arima Onsen, Kobe; 1.5 hours from Osaka In the mountains above cosmopolitan Kobe, Arimasansoh Goshobessho can be found in ...

Bathing in an “Onsen,” or hot spring, should be on any bucket list for Japan, even if you aren’t a big wellness girlie — although the physical and mental benefits are definitely part of the draw. Each ...

Japan is famous for sci-fi level innovation: It's the land of bullet trains, robots, and vending machines for everything. But the country's obsession with all things futuristic is paired with ...

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 ...

Nothing beats a good soak in a hot bath, and when it really hits the spot, you can almost feel your worries and ailments diffusing out into steam. Perhaps there is nowhere better to treat what ails ...