This undated photo provided by Stéphanie Crohin shows traditional baths and murals in Kasuga onsen, or hot spring bath, in Matsuzaka, Mie prefecture, Japan. Japan is proud of its bathing traditions.

On a recent concert tour in Japan, I had the chance to visit several thermal baths and to chat with people about the tradition of bathing. I was fascinated by their differences with American spas.

Bathing in an “Onsen,” or hot spring, should be on any bucket list for Japan, even if you aren’t a big wellness girlie — although the physical and mental benefits are definitely part of the draw. Each ...

In Japan, home to tens of thousands of mineral-rich onsens (hot springs), hydrotherapy isn’t just an occasional indulgence—but rather a way of life. I tried to remember this as I descended into what ...

For many years after I experienced my first Japanese onsen, or public bath, and whenever I was in Japan on my annual trip, I found myself playing a variation of that game recommended to nervous public ...

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X TOKYO – Japan is proud of its bathing traditions. For many Westerners, though, the fact that these ...

Forest bathing emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku, meaning “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.” Now this type of walking ...

A visit to the forest may do more than calm the mind. It could strengthen the body’s immune system. A Japanese study has found that “Shinrinyoku”, or forest bathing, helps improve natural killer (NK) ...

Japan's “hot spring capital” is trying to find ways to make one of the country's most popular pastimes more inclusive for people who identify as LGBT, when most public baths are segregated according ...

Dr. Qing Li is the author of Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for centuries. The sounds of the ...

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 ...