Staying in traditional onsen inns (ryokans), where hot springs, cuisine, and centuries-old hospitality create a deeply immersive travel experience.

A visit to an onsen always follows pretty much the same schedule-even the symbol for an onsen on a map of Japan offers a glimpse into the bathing ritual. The symbol is a pool of water with three ...

Onsen "manju" (photo below) soft sweet buns cooked by the steam of hot springs, are commonly stamped with the symbol, and they even have a cute character, Onsen Manju-kun, modelled after them. It’s ...

The onsen hot spring district, ... and the Hishō Room (top right), for 10 occupants, offer close-up views of the egret, symbol of Dōgo, atop the cupola. (© Nippon.com) ...

For many Westerners Japanese bathing traditions can feel awkward, but here are some golden rules to help you enjoy the luxuries of 'onsen' and 'sento' You can save this article by registering for ...

These symbols do not just appear in tourist guide books. They appear on practically every map made in Japan, and since these symbols, like the onsen symbol, are considered common knowledge in Japan ...

GERO, Gifu Prefecture—Complaints about naked and unruly visitors have led to a ban on bathing, except for feet, at a popular open-air riverside hot spring facility here.