Compare the waters of five hot spring towns
These are five of Japan's best-known onsen towns: Kusatsu, Gero and Arima, the classic three, plus Beppu, which has more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan, and Dogo, one of the oldest. Each has its own water and a landmark at its heart, from wooden channels of steaming water to a bathhouse where you are buried in warm sand. They are spread across Japan, so pick the one that fits your route; Arima is the closest, about an hour from Osaka.
A small open-air pool of hot spring water on the riverbank under Gero Ohashi bridge, in the middle of town. Bathing is no longer allowed, but you can take off your shoes and use it as a free foot bath beside the river.
A wooden public bathhouse in central Beppu with a grand curved tile roof, where you can try a sand bath. Wearing a cotton robe, you lie down while staff shovel sand warmed by the hot spring over you up to your neck, then rinse off and soak. It is about a 10-minute walk from Beppu Station.
