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.

A tourist has a case of Head and Shivers when ice formed on her hair while visiting an outdoor onsen. The Thai holidaymaker went for a dip in the Japanese-style public baths as temperatures dropped to ...

While there are a multitude of reasons to go to Japan — from its sublime cuisine to these spectacular sites to see the cherry blossoms — perhaps nothing beats a visit to one of the country's hot ...