A certified onsen sommelier who has traveled nearly 2,000 miles across Japan shares essential etiquette for foreign visitors.
The guide covers unspoken rules, including naked bathing customs, tattoo policies and the strict schedules at traditional inns.
Extraordinary onsen experiences include acidic waters that corrode knives, a spring with a caramel-like crust and naturally carbonated baths.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
Sitting atop a rocky outcrop on Japan’s Izu Peninsula, the pool at Kuroneiwa-buro is so close to the Pacific that the waves are only just out of reach as they crash onto the boulders nearby.
