About Our Website

THE ONSEN MAGAZINE is designed to give you the information on Japanese onsens (hot springs) in English, focusing on authentic onsens (many of them are small and non-touristic) which you could not find in other travel guides. Also, it focuses on people working there. We started making the list from the Kyushu region, and will finish making it by 2020 TOKYO Olympics.

* If you would like us to recommend onsens in the regions not covered yet, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to help.

We believe onsen is a Japanese heritage and a gift from the nature. We Japanese have been enjoying bathing at onsen from the ancient age. For Japanese, bathing has been more about getting pure than about getting clean. It is deeply connected to our life and culture. Some people go to their favourite onsen everyday and many Japanese people spend their holidays in ryokan (Japanese Inn) or hotels with onsen facilities.

There are more than 3,000 onsens in Japan. Each onsen has its own hot spring source, each source has its own water, and each water has its own colour and fragrance. Also, the water type is defined by the law depending on the substances dissolved in the water. If you soak in an onsen bath, you can feel that the touch of the water is different as well. After bathing, you may be surprised with how smooth your skin is. So, if you once enjoy bathing at an onsen, you might want to try another. That will make your travel in Japan more enjoyable. Also, it is said that bathing in an onsen brings you health benefits according to the dissolved substances (mineral compositions).

As far as we know, the information on Japanese onsens provided in foreign languages is really limited. We hope our website will help you search and find your favourite onsens and make your travel plan. If you visit Japan, we definitely recommend you to go to an onsen, although the bathing experience in Japan may be different from that in your country. We believe it is worth trying. You are really missing out if you visit Japan without going to an onsen!