Archives by Tag 'Onsen'

Onsen for one day trippers

By Kikki - Last updated: 日曜日, 11月 15, 2009

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, indicates that 温泉 “onsen” is a term for hot spring in the Japanese language, though the term is often used describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs.

Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its long archipelago, because it is a volcanically active country. Onsen are major tourist attraction for Japanese people who want to get away from the hectic everyday life in the city to relax. They are often found out in the countryside but recently it has become very common that a great number of onsen facilities found within major cities. We usually call this type of onsen as “higaeri-onsen” or onsen for day-trippers.

Higaeri-onsen offers hot spring facilities in which you can enjoy using a hot spring without staying overnight. These onsen facilities often had been located in places where you can enjoy beautiful scenery as such in mountains, the sea, a riverside, a lakeside. Higaeri-onsen or onsen for day-trippers have recently started appearing in Tokyo and are very popular. For example, 800,000 guests visits Oedo-onsen-monogatari annually.

Oedo-onsen-monogatari (Image: from homepage)Outdoor bath at Oedo-onsen-monogatari (Image: from homepage)Outdoor bath at Laqua (Image: from homepage)

We can imagine how popular hegarei-onsens are from the data provided by sogo-unicom co.

   

 

 Number of arrivals to major higaeri-onsens                   (Unit:Person)

 

Prefecture

Name of Facility

2005

2006

2007

Mie

Nagashima Resort

3,956,700

4,786,500

4,736,300

Fukushima

Spa-resort Hwaiians

1,511,334

1,546,837

1,611,322

Kanagawa

Hakone Yunessan

839,039

887,319

870,453

Tokyo

Oedo-onsen-monogatari

807,000

810,000

790,000

Tokyo

Tokyo-dome City Laqua

798,000

780,000

700,000

Aichi

Laguna-gamagori

 

744,000

690,000

Saitama

Aqua Paradise

258,907

253,528

255,266

Niigata

Aqua-park Niigata

224,000

218,000

Data from: Leisure-park and Rec-park Soran by sogo-unicom

1つ星2つ星3つ星4つ星5つ星 (まだ評価されていません)
Loading...

Self-introduction

By Kikki - Last updated: 水曜日, 11月 11, 2009

Let me introduce myself.

My name is 三浦清司 or Kiyoshi Miura. Friends of mine, sometimes call me “kikki.” I am a writer of the column named “Enjoy! Bathing in Onsen. However, I never say “I’m a Onsen expert.” I am just helping for one of famed architectural designer specialized in Onsen facilities. I usually take a part of feasibility study for new Onsen project under him. The task requires me gathering much information regarding to various kinds of Onsen facilities in Japan. Therefore I can provide you something interesting information about Onsen. But, I still have a handicap on writing proper English, because I am not a native English speaker. You will find something funny expressions in my writing. If you find out something  wrong and poor parts, please let me know how to improve them for brushing up my writing.

I am also participating in a activity named “The International Cultural Exchange Program” under N.P.O. HIBIKI, authorized by the Meiji Shrine. We provide a guided tour for foreign visitors in order to introduce Japanese culture.

1つ星2つ星3つ星4つ星5つ星 (1 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5)
Loading...