The indoor bath at Choju-kan Ryokan, which is carved from chestnut, beech and Japanese cedar and has 110-degree spring water containing calcium and magnesium. (MARK EDWARD HARRIS / For the Times)
Snowflakes falling on the main outdoor bath at Takaragawa in Gumma Prefecture. One of the most popular hot springs in Japan, it is open to both day visitors and guests at the inns, or ryokans. (MARK EDWARD HARRIS / For the Times)
A woman walks from the outdoor bath at Takaragawa to the nearby bathhouse. (MARK EDWARD HARRIS / For the Times)
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Japanese monkeys join human bathers in a pool at Jigokudani (Hell’s Valley) in Joshinetsu Plateau National Park. (MARK EDWARD HARRIS / For the Times)
