It was a cold February day in northern Japan, snow piled high outside the onsen locker room windows as I slipped out of my clothes. Nervously, I stepped into the plumes of steam wafting from the next ...

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.

Japan has nearly 30,000 hot springs and a culture of public bathing. An Israeli American architect, Yuval Zohar, has developed a passion for it. The architect Yuval Zohar at his favorite hot spring ...

Japan’s rural inns offer far more than a bed for the night—they’re an immersion into the heart of Japanese hospitality, culture, and cuisine. On a recent walking tour through the Kunisaki Peninsula ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Japan has been one of the hottest travel destinations on earth for the past few years, breaking record after record, and more ...