Blog
Articles and stories about onsen culture in Japan
Nuru-yu: The Lukewarm Onsen You Sit In for Hours
Onsen means hot spring, and we expect a mineral bath to be hot. But Japanese has a separate word for water that is merely warm, nuru-yu, and it is often where a spring does its best work. What the law, the chemistry and a thousand years of toji actually say.
TORECO onsen cards are now on Onsen Oni
We teamed up with TORECO, the onsen trading-card company. Every facility in our catalog that sells a TORECO card now shows that card on Onsen Oni, with a link straight to its official TORECO page.
The Shizuoka Nuruyu Stamp Rally is live, and every bath is on Onsen Oni
The Shizuoka Prefecture Onsen Association's lukewarm-spring rally launched today: 12 baths, digital stamps in the TIPS app, July 7 to September 30, 2026. All twelve facilities are now on Onsen Oni, with a program page and a badge to earn.
Shizuoka NURU-YU Stamp Rally 2026: A Summer of Gentle, Lukewarm Hot Springs
The Shizuoka Prefecture Onsen Association is planning a summer stamp rally around the prefecture's nuru-yu: gentle, low-temperature hot springs perfect for long summer soaks. Tentatively July–September 2026. Here's what we know so far.
Beppu Onsen Matsuri 2026: The Ultimate Guide to Japan's Biggest Hot Spring Festival
The 112th Beppu Hatto Onsen Matsuri runs April 1–5, 2026 featuring the 50th Ogiyama Fire Festival, the Furo Marathon, and the legendary Yu-bukkake water splash. Full schedule and visitor guide.