What Exactly is a Natural Hot Springs Bath “Onsen”?
An onsen is a Japanese hot spring. Many are used as hot springs baths. Although most hot springs baths are developed inside, many hot springs baths also have an outdoor bath known as a rotenburo or notenburo (also called open-air hot springs bath). Baths may be publicly run by a municipality or privately run by a local ryokan. Traditionally, men and women bathed together at the onsen, but now most onsen are only for single-sex bathing. Onsen are often found in the countryside and are a tourist attraction.
