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Onsen An onsen is a Japanese hot spring bath. The onsen is basically a Japanese public bathhouse (sento) with natural hot spring water, and its history and etiquette are closely related to the sento. The onsen plays an important role in Japanese culture, providing socially institutionalised relief from the pressures of the contemporary Japanese twelve-hour work ethic and a chance for Japanese to break down the hierarchal nature of society through the mutual nakedness of skinship. Onsen have perennial popularity in Japan and onsen locations often appear on television. |
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The most important features of the onsen by far are the water and the bathing facilities, which is why many bathers simply come for an hour or so to soak in the waters even if they do not stay. Probably the next most important issue for Japanese guests is the food; a good onsen inn (or ryokan) will offer what it claims is something special in the way of the evening meal. Because ryokan tend to gently pressure people towards eating their evening meal at set times (e.g. 6pm) the baths are often deserted around this hour of the day; this is a good time to hit the tub. While massage and other services are often offered, they are peripheral. |
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Gunma Prefecture Gunma Prefecture is located in the northwestern part of Japan's Kanto region, roughly 100 kilometers northwest of Tokyo (approximately 139° East and 37° North). It is a landlocked area that is surrounded by several other prefectures: Tochigi to the east, Saitama to the south, Nagano to the west, plus Niigata and Fukushima to the north. |
Most of Gunma is mountainous. The prefecture has three national parks: Nikko National Park, which includes the Oze district, Joshinetsu Kogen (plateau) National Park and Myogi Arafune Saku Kogen Quasi-National Park. Other noted natural areas are Mt. Akagi, Mt. Haruna and Mt. Miyogi,which are known as the Jomo Sanzan, and Tatebayashi Tsutsuji-ga-oka (azalea heights) Park. Eastern Gunma features the Memoto Narukami Park. A vast array of national and prefectural park areas lie within Gunma's borders. Nikko, Joshin-etsu Kogen and Myogi-Arafune-Saku Kogen are among the National Parks, while prefectural parks include Mt. Akagi and Mt. Haruna. Among the more spectacular settings are the mountain peaks in the Oze area of Nikko National Park. Oze is also renowned for its beautiful meadows and wildlife. A
virtually countless number of hot springs is located in these designated
park areas, especially in the Nasu Volcanic region. Rich in history,
the Ikaho hot spring at Mt. Haruna is one of the most famous in
the Kanto area. Kusatsu hot spring has medicinal waters often compared
with those of Arima hot spring in western Japan. Minakami hot spring
is easy to get to and is quite typical of the hot springs in Gunma.
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