HEAT SEEKING

Onsens, saunas, hammams and similar heat therapies are some of the oldest wellness treatments in the world—but do they still have a role to play today?

BY OLIVER GILES

It’s -4°C in Niseko, powdery snow is blowing almost sideways and I’m about to step outside—totally naked. I’m at one of the hundreds of outdoor onsens that dot Japan, where locals and tourists alike slip into pools of hot, cloudy water that’s naturally heated by volcanic rocks deep underground. Tales of the miraculous powers of these baths have been told for centuries. More than 3,000 years ago, people in Matsuyama are said to have seen an injured heron return day after day to bathe in a hot spring until it was healed, and Japanese legends claim brave samurais recovered from their battle wounds after a long soak. They may sound apocryphal, but it’s likely these stories contain a grain of truth. Scientific studies suggest onsens improve circulation and sleep, lower…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2020

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