In Japan, bathing in the nude with strangers is just a regular part of onsen culture. But for many foreign visitors, taking that first plunge can be intimidating.

Japanese onsens, or hot springs, are a quintessential experience for anyone visiting Japan . However, these natural baths ...

Above: An onsen in the newly renovated Nishimuraya Honkan, a ryokan in the town of Kinosaki. The Gora Kadan ryokan in Hakone. Located inside the national park that is home to Mount Fuji, it is less ...

In Japan, bathing is more than just a way to get clean—it’s an ancient tradition elevated to an art form. Long regarded as both a physical and spiritual experience, communal bathing has historically ...

The Tenderloin’s most unlikely opening has arrived. Onsen, a chic Japanese bathhouse, opens to the public tomorrow, November 11 with a full-blown, 3,200-square-foot Japanese bathhouse with a soaking ...

Certain kinds of accommodation offer a window into the national soul. Step onto the flagstones of an ancient English inn, into the pine-panelled cosiness of an Alpine rifugio or beyond the gates of an ...

When Princess Cruises introduced the Diamond Princess, its only ship to exclusively sail around Asia, the designers included something that would appeal to its clientele: a Japanese hot spring, or ...

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 ...

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.