Japan's Hidden Hot Springs

by Robert Neff

Easier to get to than many might imagine, Japan's hidden hot springs are among the few remaining repositories of ancient Japanese ambience and sensibility. Bucolic and charming, they bear little resemblance to the sterile, clinic-like spas of the West or to the concrete jungles of Japan's best-known onsen towns. The hot springs introduced here belong to another time but they are disappearing fast. Discover them before it's too late through this selective, personalized, and authoritative guide.

196 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Tom Plaskon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I don't know how useful this is as an actual guide to onsen.

This is one of the few travel books where the lack of pictures actually heightened my enjoyment of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's ability to paint nostalgic portraits of the various onsen in the book. The lack of pictures helps to accentuate the authors romantic prose.