Entering an onsen means to remove everything, literally. Onsen, the traditional Japanese hot springs, are not just a place to relax by immersing yourself in the hot thermal waters, but they are a place where you enter totally naked, stripping off your clothes, make-up, prejudices and anxieties about your body.…
When I travel I usually choose where to overnight based on location and price, often choosing hostels, airbnb or simple guesthouses. They just need to be clean and well connected, because I’m just sleeping there, as I spend most of my time out exploring! The Japanese ryokans, however, are a…
Ikaho is a district of Shibukawa Onsen, in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, which became popular especially in the end of the 16th century, when injured samurai of the Sengoku Judai (Warring States Era) come here to heal their wounds in the thermal baths rich in Ikaho. Nowadays, along with…
If like me you love to soak in the waters of hot springs, Beitou is a destination to be included in your trip to Taiwan. Beitou is a half-day excursion in the northern area of Taipei The development of Beitou as onsen-town come from the Japanese occupation when the Japanese…
In the mountains of Gunma, at 1200 meters above sea level, there is Kusatsu Onsen, a famous onsen town which together with Gero and Arima is one of the three hottest springs of Japan. Kusatsu Onsen is a very popular destination among the Japanese, but still little known by tourists,…