NIPPONIA

NIPPONIA No.26 September 15, 2003

Special Feature*

Hot Springs in Japan:
Facts and Figures

There are more than 3,000 hot spring resorts in Japan. They are fascinating places where people from Japan and overseas can all enjoy themselves. Japan's hot spring resorts are ready to welcome you warmly.

Source: Preservation and Use of Hot Springs (as of March 31, 2002), Ministry of the Environment website

A Few Hot Spring Statistics

Number of resorts with overnight facilities
3,023

Number of hot springs
26,796

Total number of overnight facilities
15,558

Annual number of overnight guests
137,097,634

Total water flow from underground sources, per minute
2,610,547 liters

Number of Hot Springs, Overnight Facilities, and Users (1965-2001)

	Number of users of overnight facilities (x 10,000)
	Number of overnight facilities (inns, etc.)
	Total water flow from sources (kiloliters per minute)
	Number of hot springs
	Number of hot spring resorts

Websites to Help You Plan
Your Stay at a Spa

Hometown Homepage:
http://www.infocreate.co.jp/hometown/htown-e.html (English)
Contains information on towns and cities throughout Japan — history, culture, food, handicrafts and souvenirs, travel tips and more. Plenty of facts — from transportation to how to use a Japanese toilet — to guide you during your trip.
Japan National Tourist Organization:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/
(Chinese, English, French, German and Korean)
Packed with facts on traditional culture, customs, etc.
Also introduces museums, art galleries, and other interesting places to visit.
Japan Ryokan Association
http://www.ryokan.or.jp/ (Chinese, English, Korean)
Dos and don'ts when staying at a ryokan (Japanese inn). Includes a list of member ryokan located all over Japan.
Day trip ONSEN Michelin (East Japan)
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ue3t-cb/index_e/index_e.htm (English)
Describes spas in eastern Japan. The number of stars awarded each spa was determined by the website developer.

Hot Spring Dos and Don'ts

(1)	Undress completely in the changing room. If you have long hair, tie it up with a rubber band, so that it does not touch the water.
(2)	Wash in the washing area. Never use soap in the pools.
(3)	At the pool edge, use a small washbowl to pour hot water over yourself many times. This will prevent your blood pressure from rising suddenly in the pool.
(4)	Enter the pool gradually, letting your body adjust to the temperature. Make sure to leave the pool before you feel faint.
(5)	Do not let your towel fall in the pool.
(6)	To keep the spring minerals on your skin, do not shower after leaving the pool.
(7)	In the washing area, dry yourself off (including the soles of your feet), so that you do not wet the floor or seats in the changing room.
(8)	Dry your hair completely, and cool yourself down in the breeze from an open window. Be careful not to get a chill.
(9)	Wait several hours before soaking in the bath again. Enter the pool no more than about 3 times a day.

Some of Japan's Most Famous Hot Spring Resorts

* Red dots indicate spas mentioned in this site.

NIPPONIA