Kurokawa Onsen preserves the nostalgic charm of traditional Japanese bathing culture by offering a wooden pass that lets visitors wander the forested streets in cotton robes to…

A closer look

Wandering a freezing mountain town in nothing but a bathrobe is highly encouraged here, provided there is a scalding volcanic tub waiting at your destination. Unlike the hyper-modernized resorts of Japan, Kurokawa deliberately banned neon signs to keep its Edo-period aesthetic intact. By purchasing a 'nyuto tegata' (a cedar wood pass), you can hop between different ryokans to bathe in mineral-rich waters surrounded by roaring rivers and falling snow. It is the absolute pinnacle of atmospheric relaxation.