The Japanese elevated the act of taking a bath into that of an artistic ritual. Hot spring baths come in many varieties, indoors and outdoors, gender separated and mixed, developed and undeveloped. Many hot spring baths belong to a ryokan (Traditional Japanese Inn) while others are public bath houses. Highly industrious and subject to crowded living conditions and a fast pace of life, the Japanese culture and people developed the ability to balance the contradictory elements of their lifestyle. The Onsen experience is an example of this balance. The popularity of the Hot Springs is due to the nature of the water and the unique minerals they carry from deep in the earth’s crust. It’s a ritual that involves a pause for regeneration of body, mind and spirit; a renewal, grounding and reconnection with the natural elements that cleanse, nourish and provide for us daily.