Sushi Blog — onsen

People love to bathe in onsen or natural hot springs in Japan. This explains why there are thousands of ryokan or Japanese style hotels featuring onsen. These are the places to visit to relax and recuperate from stressful work days. The guests are treated like king or queen during the entire stay.  No Yu, a family-owned ryokan has been in operation for 113 years.

Winter is the best time to go to Onsen or a resort featuring its own hot springs.  There are literally thousands of Onsens through out Japan, but to find one in a great location this time of the year, go north.  Simon scores huge points by taking Martina on a surprise Valentine vacation.

Onsen or hot spring represents an integral part of Japanese culture as people find bathing while enjoying the beauty of surrounding nature in a remote area a true retreat, not to mention the great food served at the Ryokan or Japanese style hotel.  Simon and Martina feast on a full course dinner.  The couple then go on Onsen hopping.

Not very many tourists from other countries venture into the world of Onsen, or Japanese hot spring, but Simon and Martina are here to explore every corner of Japanese culture.  They are lucky because most Onsens do not allow people with tattoos  to use their facilities because tattoos  are synonym to organized crime.  Yakuza, or Japanese mafia are the only people with tattoos  in Japan.