An onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring, featuring baths that are fuelled by geothermal activity beneath the Earth's surface. These baths, which can be found all over Japan due to the country's ...

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, ...

Discover the ultimate onsen retreat with my unforgettable 2-night stay at the most luxurious ryokan in Jozankei, near Sapporo, Hokkaido. Experience the charm of traditional Japanese inns with ...

Japanese hot springs—better known as onsens—are prized for their zen experience, with travelers coming from around the world to lounge in natural pools and bliss out. The country is home to 27,000 ...

For a brief moment, I feel like a Japanese snow monkey -- those furry, red-faced creatures that descend from the cliffs and forests of Nagano to sit and soak in hot spring water. Flakes fall around me ...

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 ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Joni Sweet is a journalist who covers travel, wellness, and adventure. A trip to an onsen is a quintessential part of a trip to ...

Taking a bath seems simple enough. Something along the lines of "run the tap, allow to fill and get in" is pretty much how most Westerners are trained to do it. In Japan, however, the tradition of ...

Japan has more than its fair share of onsen (hot spring) towns, the country's original tourist destination, but none are as easy to get to from Tokyo as Kinugawa Onsen. This is one of the capital's ...

These are the best times of year to visit Japan for the best weather, lower prices, fewer crowds, to see cherry blossoms, and to go skiing.