Just a short tram ride from Matsuyama city center in Ehime is Dogo Onsen, Japan’s oldest hot spring. Its main bath house has been the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (2001). But despite a famous pedigree, the...
Nestled deep in the beech covered folds of northern Nagano prefecture, Nozawa Onsen is a picturesque village, home to 4,000 people. Sitting at the foot of Mount Kenashi, it comes alive in winter with one of the...
A blissful soak in an onsen is a must-do experience in Japan. However, not everybody has the time or money to splurge on a stay in a ryokan. For those wanting an authentic and picturesque hot spring day trip, Arima Onsen is...
With thousands of minor eruptions each year, Sakurajima easily ranks among the most active volcanoes in the world. It’s literally created its own island in the middle of Kagoshima Bay. What’s truly crazy, though, is that (just 4 km away from Sakurajima!)...