An onsen is a natural hot spring found in Japan and is used by bathers to soak in. They are heated underground by volcanic processes and the water has therapeutic qualities which can treat some common ailments. Onsens are found in many locations throughout Japan, often in the mountains where vol¬canoes are.
Going to an onsen is one of the Japanese’s essential and most relaxing pas¬times. Onsens are re¬nowned for their relaxation and therapeutic benefits. These benefits come from the extensive range of min¬erals and natural salts found in the volcanically heated water. Depending on the location of the on¬sen and the surrounding underground rock composition, a variety of different minerals that aid the body’s healing can be found.
According to Yuko Agishi, a 75-year-old physician and honorary professor at Hok¬kaido University. “Onsen therapy has various medical effects. It is a type of alter¬native or complementary medicine, not directly curing the cause of the disease but treating the body as a whole, assisting in recupera¬tion, rehabilitation and dis¬ease prevention.”
Bathing in these various types of onsen is used as a method to treat illnesses instead of conventional medication. It is believed that people can also strengthen their immune system and thus enhance the ability for their body to heal themselves.
