温泉 - Onsen (hot spring / spa)

Japan, a country with many volcanoes, has over 2,000 hot springs. The Japanese are well-known for their enjoyment of hot spring bathing and frequently take short trips to hot springs for a few days. The water in the hot springs has a temperature of 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher and contains various minerals and natural gases. Hot spring bathing is an effective treatment for many chronic diseases such as rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, and hypertension. For this reason, hot springs have been utilized since ancient times for hydrotherapy for such chronic diseases. Nowadays, however, hot springs have developed into large-scale resorts equipped with modern facilities. People generally visit hot springs to relax and stay for a few days while enjoying the hot baths. Many people like to bathe outdoors. This makes the outdoor baths, which are called rotemburo in Japanese, very popular. These outdoor baths are very different from modern bathing facilities.

火山国の日本には数多くの温泉地があり、その数は2,000以上にのぼります。日本人は温泉入浴を好む民族として知られており、1〜2泊の国内旅行の目的地として多くの人々が温泉を訪れます。湯の温度は摂氏25度(華氏77度)以上で色々な種類の鉱物質や天然ガスを含有しており、多くの慢性病(リューマチ、痛風、神経痛、高血圧等)に対して医学的な効能が認められています。このため温泉は古くからこれらの慢性病患者の湯治(療養)の場として利用されてきました。今日では多くの温泉が大規模な観光地として開発され、くつろぎ(休養)を目的とする人々が近代化された施設のもとで温泉浴を楽しみながら数日を過ごすのが一般的です。戸外での入浴を好む人々も多く、近代的な施設とは趣の異なる露天風呂も大変人気があります。