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Natural mineral hot springs (onsens) are not hard to find in Japan.  We have countless ryokans (Traditional Japanese Inns), hotels, and resort villages that are exclusively for those seeking a relaxing soak in hot springs.  Then we have hot springs that medical doctors recommend and prescribe such as Tamagawa onsen which has the highest acidity of all Japanese onsens.  The bedrock at the onsen emits radioactivity, and as a result people come from all over Japan to be cured of a wide range of ailments.  Some of these people have had negative effects from hospital radiation treatments, and their doctors recommend the hot springs as an alternative.  Hot springs water temperature varies from onsen to onsen.  I have seen onsen temps across Japan from 37℃ to 50℃ (98.6℉ to 122℉), but the average onsen will be anywhere from 39℃ to 42℃ (102.2℉ to 107.6℉).  50℃ (122℉) is way too hot for me, and I like my onsen temp at 41℃ (105.8℉), and if I have a couple hours to soak, I prefer water temps just above body temperature, around 38℃ (104℉). 

Japanese Onsen is natural unchlorinater onsen, the bath water changes three times a day naturally. I took this onsen and image while leaned a Hokkaido Photo tour.

Japanese Onsen that has no chemicals added, and the bath water changes several times a day naturally. I took this onsen and image while leaned a Hokkaido tour.

A private ensuite onsen, I took this image while leading a private Hokkaido photo tour.

Here is a public Onsen, of course nobody is here so I snapped a quick pic, hotels really don't mind just as long as you are alone. I took this image while leading an autumn in Japan photo tour.

A typical traditional Japanese Ryokan meal, I took this image while leading a Niigata private photo tour.

Here is a traditional Japanese suit room, with garden and private onsen. I took this image while leading a Niigata private tour.

Sitting room traditional Japanese Ryokan suite room, this room has a garden with a private Onsen. I took this image while leading a Niigata Private photo tour.

Here is a private ensuite Onsen bath, this Ryokan also offered a public Onsen for all guests. I took this image while leading a Niigata Private Tour.

Across Japan there are over 27,000 onsens, WoW!  Worldwide onsen culture dates back thousands of years.  In Japan the onsen culture was popular in the Nara and Heian period, and became popular again in the Edo period.  These were times of peace in the land of the rising sun.  After the second world war, onsens became popular again, and community city, village communal baths were constructed where male and female bathed separately.  Most homes at this time did not have the luxury of a bath, but today you would be extremely hard pressed to find a home in Japan without one.  

This is a small Onsen Ryokan that offers a private family Onsen, this bath was built just after the Second World War, and has no chemical added as the water changes naturally several time a day.

Here is a large bath, it must have been 1am when I took this image while leading my annual Essence of cherry blossom photo tour. This bath has no chemicals added, as the water naturally changes several times a day.

Here a an outdoor bath for one, this water is fast moving with no chemicals added for the natural onsen experience, this Onsen is iron water. I took this image and Onsen while leading my annual essence of autumn photo tour Japan.

Iron natural onsen, this onsen is unique wth only a few like it across Japan. I took this bath and image while leading my annual Essence of autumn photo workshop.

My first onsen experience in Japan was interesting to say the least.  It was over twenty five years ago in Hokkaido, and just before I entered, my fiancé quickly rattled off the rules to me.  1) Male and female bathe separately. 2)  No clothing in the onsen; only bring the washing towel the ryokan provided into the onsen, and she did mention you can cover your private parts with the towel when walking around, but never put the towel into the onsen water; put it on your head when in the onsen.  3) Wash your entire body before entering the onsen bath.  When I went in, it was around 4 pm and super busy, but I found separate washing stalls, and at first, I showered and washed for a long time as I felt uncomfortable entering the onsen with other men naked.  Then about ten minutes later, I remembered my sports days and showering with teammates, and at the gym, plus in the Canadian Rockies we have natural hot springs in the mountains that I have used plenty of times while camping and horseback riding.  So I stood up and covered my privates with the towel and entered the onsen.  I WAS SOLD in thirty seconds flat!!!  My only thought was, “WOW!  WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!!!”   

Summer Camping with my wife and me, we get to head out a few times a year without family. Here we were camping in close to a natural Onsen.

Natural Onsen in the highlands of Japan, shovel required.

Natural wild hot springs are super nice especially when camping in the backcoutnry, of course shovel required to dig out your own onsen at this spot.

Outdoor Onsen, image taken at my cottage in Hokkaido, Japan. The cottage I really want to winterize it, the inside bath is much larger. The outdoor bath can only be used from Spring to Autumn, winter it's too cold outside.

Today, I love onsens so much that my home in Niigata, Japan is a ten minute drive to Iwamuro Onsen Village.  And I have a cottage in Hokkaido that has natural hot springs running year round, but I need to winterize this cottage, as I only get a few months a year to enjoy it, but my family is kinda happy I have not winterized it yet, as we might end up spending an entire winter in Hokkaido, and they enjoy the temperate wether of the Tokyo region in winter.  Annually, my family and I spend at least three weeks of vacation time at onsen resorts.  At the end of May this year before the summer heat hit, we spent time at Hachimantai Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, where we checked into Goshougake Onsen.  On their website it reads, (Located at 1,000 m above sea level in Hachimantai,  “Goshougake”, the only inn in this neighborhood, surrounded by the nature, has 300 years of history.  As the saying goes “A man who came by horse leaves in sandals,” this place is famous for medical baths with the curative power.  Visitors can enjoy 7 types of baths including “hakomushiburo”, boxed steam baths, where you bathe with your head thrust, and a mud bath, which has aesthetic effects.)  It was a glorious onsen experience, everyday anytime onsen.  For guests the onsen is open 24 hrs, and the general public may enter from 9:30 AM to 4 PM.  During the day, we did some sightseeing and photography.  Another rule in onsen is no pictures, but that is really a grey area, it’s meant to say don’t take pictures of others in the onsen.  Last year, I got my first smartphone, and it’s now easier for me to take pics in onsen when there are no people.  And to be perfectly honest, I prefer the private bathing experience, or with family in a private onsen which is Japanese culture, and at least a week a year, we book into an inn with a private onsen in suite, plus we are welcome to use the ryokan’s communal onsen.

This is a private Onsen that all hotel guests may use for up to an hour a day. This hot springs is in the snow monkey park region. I took this image while leaned my annual Hokkaido snow monkey photo tour.

This onsen is next to the snow monkey park, and is for guests only, it's not uncommon for monkeys to visit the onsen now and again. I took his image while leading my annual snow monkey photo tour.

An onsen visited for over 300, Goshogake Onsen is amazing that I highly recommend to those who like onsen. Water is 100% unchlorinated and natural healing onsen. I took this image while on my last trip to Akita.

Mud Onsen Goshougake Hot Springs, by the window is a wooden tray where you take mud and smear it all over your and face, after your skin is soft and smooth.

Private box steam baths Goshougake Onsen, they have a wood seat inside and your head sticks out, I tried one they are okay, but a little hot. A friend of mine who had a type of cancer visited here just for these box steam units and still does today.

Goshougake Onsen water has a lovely milky white blue tone mid day.

To the left there are shower stalls to wash before entering the Onsen.

Goshougake Ryokan Onsen room are nice, but they do not have a shower or bath in room, they do have a washroom and full sink with plenty of amenities. People visit here exclusively for Onsen.

Goshougake Ryokan sitting room the rooms are nice, I would love to book this Ryokan and other like it while leading photo workshops, but 99% of my guests prefer their own shower and bath in room, which I fully understand, and accommodate.

Private outdoor onsen Hokkaido Japan. I took this bath and image while leading a Hokkaido private photo tour.

As you can see how high stressed I seem, there was a blizzard and we were stuck in lodgings for two days while I was leading y annual Hokkaido photo tour.

Yomogi Leaves Herbal Bath, this Ryokan also had natural Onsens, but I really like Yomogi herbal bath and the green. I took this image while leading my annual Hokkaido photo tour.

On all of my Japan photo tours, including my annual Hokkaido photo tour, all lodgings that I have my booking agent reserve offer the Japanese authentic onsen experience.  Males and females bathe separately, and some hotels offer the private onsen experience, and I can assure you after a long day of photography, there is nothing like a soak in the healing onsen.  But some guests prefer not to use the Onsen and I respect this, and I have my booking agent make sure all guests on my Japan photo tours have ensuite shower/bath and washroom, and private ensuite hot springs when available. 

In closing, by law Japan Hot Springs must be tested several times a day for bacteria by staff, but this is mainly for hot springs that water is not continuously flowering fast with fresh new Onsen water and the water is being recycled like a hot tub, at these types of establishments they have to change the bath water once a day, these types of Onsens will have chlorine added to prevent infection, and I can smell the chemicals and I mainly avoid  them.  99% I bathe in purists natural unchlorinater Onsens that do not need to recycle their water, this is due to the Onsen water flowing fast and natural,  and the Onsen bath water changes itself with fresh hot water two to five times a day or more and they don’t need to add any chemicals, due to water always changing naturally, but they still have to test the water daily for any impurities, hot springs across Japan are highly regulated. 

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