In Japan, it’s not hard to spot locals bathing in a public onsen and soaking in the forest – well-being is an integral component of life.
Whether you’re looking for a healing remedy at a spa or a nature immersion, you should check out these six reports about your next vacation in Japan.
While onsen baths have grown in recent years to become arguably the most popular wellness remedy in the country, the Japanese have respected the practice since the 6th century, when the first references to bathing appeared in texts. In the Buddhist and Shinto tradition, water is considered a way to purify oneself and steam from a bath improves health. Subsequently, personal baths were a sought-after possession, built by Japanese nobles during the Kamakura era (1185-1333), which over time has become available to all in the form of sento (communal baths). Although the prevalence of onsen baths has declined since their heyday in the 1960s (there were 2,087 in Tokyo at the time), they can still be located throughout the country, as locals stop at them to enjoy the benefits of the mineral-rich hot spring.
Try it: Many hotels in Japan have their own onsen, but there are also onsen towns built around their hot spring pools. You’ll find the biggest onsen opportunities in Oita, east of the island of Kyushu, where there are more than 5,000 hot springs. Springs.
Since nature is so beloved in Japan, what better way to immerse yourself in the local culture than to explore Japan’s varied landscapes on a motorcycle tour. Whether you fancy witnessing cherry blossoms, hiking the Sakurajima volcano, or soaking in the hot springs, the southern island of Kyushu offers a motorcycle route for everyone. Customized for all levels of experience, from the casual motorcycle enthusiast to the seasoned rider, curated itineraries offer a combination of scenic views, historic sanctuaries, hot springs, original local encounters, and breathtaking landscapes, from volcanoes to mountains to ancient forests. Tours last five to 12 days and come with a cycling guide, accommodations, meals at local restaurants, a car with an accompanying driver, and insurance.
The “off-the-beaten-path tour,” for example, involves traveling along the picturesque sea coast on the west side of Kyushu, while the “Cherry Blossom Course” will take you to some of the most productive cherry blossom spots in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The healing benefits of Japan’s volcanic activity extend beyond the hot springs to the land itself, and sand baths are considered an effective remedy for about three hundred years. What makes sand unique is that it is heated through the steam of hot water. flowing underneath. The weight of the mineral-rich sand in the frame aims to increase the volume of blood pumped out of the heart, thereby improving flow and stimulating the secretion of waste products. The improvement of 11 signs of the framework studied by Professor Tanaka of Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine has even made it possible to claim that the favorable effects of sand baths are 3 to 4 times greater than those of a hot spring bath. Although it may not be the remedy for claustrophobic people, the feeling is similar to that of lying under a warm, heavy blanket.
Ibusuki Hakusuikan offers sand baths in its classic Yagura-style spa, which also includes several indoor and thermal pools for after-bathing.
With a massage known to improve flow and stimulate detoxification, one that targets the lymphatic formula (the network of organs, vessels, and tissues that move and drain a fluid called lymph from other parts of the body into the bloodstream) goes even further. Lymphatic drainage techniques are gaining popularity in Western facials to reduce facial swelling, but this remedy has a similar effect on the body, reducing swelling and inflammation. Beyond the cosmetic benefits of skin radiance, a lymphatic drainage massage can help treat fitness. Situations such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic venous insufficiency, fibromyalgia, and lipedema. Either way, employing gentle, repetitive movements will definitely give you a sense of tranquility.
Try it: spas in Japan offer lymphatic drainage remedies. The Sheraton Kagoshima specializes in this type of massage with various lymphatic remedies to use.
Okyu (known as “moxibustion”) is a classic Chinese medicine cure that involves burning dried mugwort, in the form of small cigar-shaped sticks, on the skin. Usually implemented in conjunction with acupuncture, this remedy has been used for centuries in other Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Vietnam, it remains a popular spa remedy in Japan today. By creating inflammation in the targeted areas, okyu is said to herald healing by expanding blood flow and stimulating the production of white blood cells. It is even used as a complementary remedy for tuberculosis in emerging countries.
Try it: Okyu doesn’t show up regularly at hotels because professionals need a license to perform the treatment. The service is mainly found in acupuncture clinics.
The Japanese practice of “shinrin-yoku,” or forest bathing, is simply to immerse yourself in the forest without distractions (such as your phone). Although the practice has entered the wellness mainstream in the West, it is taken very seriously in Japan. where it began as a medical practice in the 1980s in reaction to emerging depression and poor physical condition due to urbanization. Reputed to improve sleep, mood, ability to concentrate, and relieve tension and muscle tension, forest bathing is considered so effective that it is regarded as a means of preventative fitness care in Japan. In today’s hyper-connected world, its biggest draw is perhaps the ability to disconnect from technology. Instead, one engages in a type of meditation by walking, noticing, and interacting with the entire complex. elements of the forest, from listening to the birds to touching the bark of the trees.
All you want is a forest, as there are many in Japan.
As the call suggests, a head spa remedy involves washing, conditioning, and massaging the head. Conditioning and masking exfoliate the scalp and nourish the hair follicles. While the massage portion of the treatment relieves tension and increases blood flow to the scalp, which can help stimulate hair growth.
Headspa EN in Los Angeles analyzes the scalp under a microscope and treats inflammatory situations such as eczema and psoriasis.