Hot Springs In Japan
Onsen for those of you who may not know is the word in Japanese for hot spring, though it is also used not only for the actual spring itself but also for the facilities and inns around the hot spring. The volcanic activity of Japan, mean that there are thousands of onsen spread across the country. Traditionally used for public bathing, are now mostly for tourism and relaxation. There are many Sento that fill the role as public bath houses.
The layout and styles of Onsen are hugely varied, they may be or outside or indoor baths (rotenburo or notenburo) either public and run by the local government or privately owned (uchiyu). They are often connected to a hotel, ryokan or B&B (minshuku). I have yet to meet a Japanese person who does not extol the virtues of visiting Onsen, couples, families and even companies often visit onsen together.
The is a term in Japanese hadaka no tsukiai which roughly translates as “naked communion” it means to get to know people on equal footing in a relaxed atmosphere. There are an abundance of Japanese television shows featuring onsen across the country. To find an onsen while looking on a map you need to search for this symbol ? or the kanji ?(yu, meaning “hot water”).
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen
Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Onsen_in_Nachikatsuura,_Japan.jpg
http://www.city.sendai.jp/kikaku/kokusai/english/images/onsen.jpg