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Like a giant sponge
soaked full of hot water, Japan leaks from thousands of
hot springs. And at some 1,800 of these springs. Onsen
resorts have sprung up over some 2,000 years of Japanese
love of a good, hot bath. The nation's hot-spring spas
are among its most enjoyable destinations for visitors,
and offer a mindboggling array of variations on the seemingly
simple act of soaking in hot mineral waters.
Certain once-remote springs were discovered ages past
when hunters, pursuing wounded game, tracked the animal
down to the bubbling pool where it instinctively went
to soothe its pain. Some samurai lords even had favorite
hot springs where they would go when wounded in battle
to speed the healing process.
Until quite recently, Onsen were considered as the provenance
of the elderly, who retired to them to soak their arthritic
bones. In recent years, however, Onsen have gained a certain
cachet among the young, and now most hot-spring spas are
popular year-round. |
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While most Onsen
pipe their hot-spring waters indoor to their 0-furo (bath),
some have built pools outdoors, which are known as Roten-buro.
These baths are generally open year-round, and are especially
satisfying to enjoy during a light snow fall.
In Hokkaido, the most popular resort is Noboribetsu. It
is situated in a region of magnificent scenery, amid boiling
mud pools and sulfuric geysers. Another favorite resort
is Jozankei Spa, 30 km. from Sapporo. Among the spas near
Tokyo are Hakone, Atami, Ito, Kinugawa, Nasu, Nikko and
Shiobara.
Beppu in Oita Prefecture, Arima near Kobe and Kusatsu
in Gumma Prefecture all provide potent mineral baths,
while Masutomi Spa in Yamanashi Prefecture and Misasa
Spa in Tottori Prefecture are all well known for their
radioactive springs.
Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture and Dogo in Ehime Prefecture
are both noted as time-honored hotspring resorts of Japan.
Unzen in Kyushu, famed for its great thermal activity,
is also popular as a summer resort. Chief among the mountain
spas in Honshu are Akakura in Niigata Prefecture and Zao
in Yamagata Prefecture. |
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