Making a creaking sound, the wooden entrance door opens, and Sumie Tamura is standing there with a friendly smile. "Irashaimase" - welcome - she says while bowing gracefully to greet me. Her ...

Known for its Olympic-worthy mountains, alpine forests, and highlands crossed by rivers and ponds, Joshin Etsu Kogen National ...

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Two things can be true at once — and in Japan they usually are. It’s a land of contradictions and, thanks to this and its reputation ...

Above: An onsen in the newly renovated Nishimuraya Honkan, a ryokan in the town of Kinosaki. The Gora Kadan ryokan in Hakone. Located inside the national park that is home to Mount Fuji, it is less ...

Ginzan Onsen, a popular Japanese hot spring town known for its scenic snowy views, has begun limiting entry to day trippers during winter peak season, becoming another destination to tackle ...

For many years after I experienced my first Japanese onsen, or public bath, and whenever I was in Japan on my annual trip, I found myself playing a variation of that game recommended to nervous public ...

After six previous trips exploring Japan’s more well-trodden regions like Kansai and Kanto, I was ready to see a different side of the country. During my latest visit, I finally made my way to Kyushu, ...

The 41-year-old is talking about the town of Ginzan Onsen, a popular winter destination in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture. For Nakata, the importance of the region goes beyond beauty. He’s brought us ...