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.

I wrapped my yukata, a cloth kimono, around my naked body, pulling the left side of the fabric over the right, as instructed, and tied the obi sash securely at my waist. The hotel provided these robes ...

Sitting atop a rocky outcrop on Japan’s Izu Peninsula, the pool at Kuroneiwa-buro is so close to the Pacific that the waves are only just out of reach as they crash onto the boulders nearby. The hot ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Here are some of the best hot springs in Japan, from Hakone to Yakushima Island. helovi/Getty Image Wellness-oriented escapes are ...

Soak in the three-Michelin-starred baths of Hyotan Onsen. Learn more about the craft of traditional bamboo weaving by taking a class at the Bamboo Cultural Center. Take a thermal sand bath while ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. People bathe in an outdoor onsen on the shore of Lake Akan, in Hokiaido's Akan National Park. - Iain Masterton/Alamy Stock Photo ...