Azusa Yamamoto, like virtually all Japanese girls, is very familiar with the word "onsen" and she like others, enjoys visiting an onsen often, while in Japan.

The natural hot springs of Japan are called "onsen". Onsen refers specifically to the volcanic hot springs, although some Japanese use the word interchangeably with the bathing facilities at local inns which encircle these natural hot springs.

Tourists who visit Japan often enjoy bathing at an onsen during their stay, because hot springs and communal bathing are part and parcel of traditional Japanese life. It is a good way to meet Japanese people in an informal setting!

Japan's volcanic geography has created a multitude of geothermal springs which are found across the country.

Some onsen are strictly private and known only to local Japanese people, while others are advertised as popular vacation destinations. Bathing facilities located near onsen often feature lodging which may run the gamut from traditional Japanese inns known as ryokan to the typical western type hotels. In some regions, an onsen is run as a city enterprise, and in other places of Japan the springs are privately managed.

The typical tourist visiting Japan can choose from a number of hot pools including both indoor and outdoor pools. Temperature and mineral-wise the composition of each pool is widely different and many Japanese as well as other people believe that certain minerals such as sulfur are good for the body, viewing onsen as a place for not just relaxation but healing as well.