Peter's Japan blog

Japan is a very vulcanic country and therefore has Onsens throughout the whole country. Onsens are hot spring baths that have naturally heated water from source deep underground which are geothermally heated. These waters also have many minerals in them that attribute to several healing aspects, which vary from area to area.
Originally Onsen where public baths but not play an important role in domestic tourism and are usually in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel. Onsen are usually indicated on sign & maps by the ♨ sign.
Also, originally Onsen where mixed-sex, but since western influence came after the Meiji restoration, men and women are usually separated, although mixed still exists, mostly in the countryside. Usually there is also a family bath which can be reserved for a family, which is mixed-sex, but can also be used alone if you want some privacy.

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