The Charm of Onsen: Japan’s Hot Springs

Japan is home to a large number of natural hot springs, known in Japanese as onsen.  And rising from their waters is not only steam, but the living heritage of traditional crafts. Tableware and woodwork that was originally created to welcome hot spring visitors eventually developed into the beautiful regional crafts that we see today.

Japanese hot springs have long been valued as places to heal both body and soul. As such, a unique culture surrounds them. We’ll delve into that culture while introducing how hot spring towns have nurtured unique crafts, from Yamanaka lacquerware to kokeshi dolls. Here are the stories behind the “aesthetics of warmth” that have sprung up alongside the healing waters of the onsen.

A volcanic archipelago, Japan has about 3,000 hot springs dotting the country. These onsen are not mere tourist spots, but part of the culture of harmonizing body and mind, one held close by the Japanese people for centuries.

Dating back to the mythical times described in Japan’s oldest historical records, the early eighth–century Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, hot springs have been believed to possess divine power and were revered as sites to heal physical ailments. For example, an entry from the same period in the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki describes Shimane Prefecture’s Tamatsukuri Onsen, saying, “If you bathe in it once, your appearance will become beautiful. If you bathe in it again, any illness will be instantly cured.” This use of hot springs as a medical treatment to cure illness or injury is known as toji, literally “hot water healing” or “hot spring cure,” and is an aspect of Japanese culture that has continued for hundreds of years.

The healing properties of hot springs are not limited to the chemical components of the water. A number of factors work together to relieve the bodies and minds of visitors: The tranquility of the mountains, the beautifully changing seasonal scenery, and the spaces carefully prepared with the aesthetics of hospitality in mind. The culture of visiting curative hot springs and the mythology that surrounds them show that for Japanese people, onsen are not just places of physical healing. They are also sites for harmonizing with nature and realigning one's heart using the scenery of the four seasons.

Inseparable from Japanese onsen culture is the term toji, or hot spring cure. It first appeared in the diaries of nobles of the late Heian period (794–1185 CE) before spreading to imperial courtiers, monks, and the warrior class. The famous Heian-period writer Sei Shonagon praised onsen in The Pillow Book, showing the concept of the hot spring cure was of interest at the time.

Later, in the Edo period (1603–1868 CE), the ability to travel for leisure spread to commoners and hot spring cures became widely popular among the masses. Hot spring guidebooks, instruction manuals on how to use hot springs, and hot spring–focused medical texts by doctors appeared. With them, a boom in curative hot springs arrived. Across the country, what would become representative examples of hot spring towns took form, including Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma, Naruko Onsen in Miyagi, and Beppu and Yufuin in Oita. In addition to being used to relieve illness, curative hot springs gained a tourism aspect, with people taking time off from their daily lives to rest at onsen resorts. It became part of the social culture to take trips to hot spring towns and stay at hot spring inns.

Today, the influence of concepts like wellness and mindfulness have brought Japanese onsen back into the limelight as places for harmonizing body and mind. Many are located in areas surrounded by mountains, rivers, and forests, making them effective places not only for healing through nature, but also for digital detox, since smartphones cannot be brought into the springs. The leisurely time spent soaking results in deep relaxation thanks to the combination of the water's heat, the deepness of one’s breaths, and the surrounding scenery.

There is, in fact, a deep connection between Japan’s famous hot spring towns and traditional crafts. The vessels, utensils, and furnishings that were created to entertain guests at curative hot springs eventually developed into crafts representative of their local areas. Here we introduce some of the warmly beautiful crafts that were nurtured alongside the healing properties of the springs.

Yamanaka Onsen is located in the mountains of Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Here, Yamanaka lacquerware has a history of over 400 years. Its most distinctive feature is the elaborateness of its wood turning techniques, or kiji-biki. Craftspeople use a lathe to carve astonishingly smooth vessels that bring out the full beauty of the wood grain.

Yamanaka lacquerware was originally developed for teaware and sake cups for hot spring inns. One could say that the gentle curves that fit comfortably in the hand and the warm texture of the wooden surfaces are the very spirit of hospitality given shape.

Yamashiro Onsen, also in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is known for its deep connection to Kutani ware ceramics. In the late Edo period, Toyoda Den-emon, also known as Yoshidaya Den-emon, built a kiln to revive ko-Kutani techniques. Originally built in Kutani Village (present-day Yamanaka Onsen), the kiln was moved in 1826 to Yamashiro Onsen’s Etchu Valley. This established Yamashiro Onsen as an important location supporting the revival of Kutani ware, and the area developed into a gathering place for a great number of kilns and artisans.

Characterized by its vivid colors and bold paintings, Kutani ware came to lavishly decorate the dining tables of hot spring inns. Its signature five colors, called the Kutani gosai (green, yellow, navy, purple, and red), brighten the hearts of those who see it.

Even today, visitors to Yamashiro Onsen can see the skill of craftspeople up close in galleries and workshops, and experience the deep connection between hot springs and crafts.

Located about an hour's drive from Wakura Onsen on Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula is the city of Wajima, the birthplace of Wajima lacquerware. Wajima lacquerware is of the highest quality, characterized by a deep luster and strength created through the careful application of many layers of lacquer. Its beautiful sheen elegantly brings color to the tables, trays, and tableware of hot spring ryokan (traditional-style inns). The combination of its rich hues with colorful cuisine is truly what one might call “the beauty of hospitality passed down with the hot spring.”

In recent years, some inns have begun to use lacquer for interior elements such as pillars and flooring. Some have even opened adjoining Wajima lacquerware galleries, offering guests the experience of a stay surrounded by traditional crafts.

Naruko Onsen, located in the mountains of the Tohoku region, is known as the home of the adorable kokeshi doll. Kokeshi dolls were first made by woodworkers in the late Edo period as souvenirs for visitors to the hot spring. Though these wooden dolls are simple, their soft expressions and rounded forms soothe the heart, and they are beloved as symbols of warmth and healing.

If you visit Naruko Onsen, you can enjoy the fun of experiencing craft culture for yourself by visiting the Japan Kokeshi Museum, trying your hand at painting, or attending demonstrations by craftspeople.

The famous Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, is known as one of Japan’s three best hot springs for beautiful skin. About a thirty-minute drive from this onsen town brings you to Arita Town, the birthplace of Arita ware. Boasting a 400-year history, Arita ware is characterized by porcelain so white as to seem translucent and by delicate blue-and-white painting, known as sometsuke. Its pure beauty perfectly harmonizes with the serenity of the hot springs.

During the Edo period, Arita porcelain was exported abroad from the nearby port of Imari, which led to it becoming widely known at the time as “Imari ware.” It was highly praised abroad, especially in Europe, and to this day remains one of Japan's representative crafts. At Ureshino Onsen inns, local culinary specialities are served in Arita ware dishes, the beauty of the white porcelain enhancing the colors of the cuisine.

The onsen culture of living alongside the healing power of hot springs exemplifies the cherished Japanese values of “beauty in harmony with nature” and “richness that aligns the heart.” Inseparable from this are the crafts whose creation was nurtured amidst the waters’ steam. Using these crafts, we encourage you to invite the onsen spirit, and a little healing with it, into your life. Perhaps enjoy your morning tea in a lacquerware vessel, or arrange Arita ware plates on your dining table. Through this, you, too, can allow the soothing beauty of Japan’s hot springs to soak into your daily routines.