There was a cold snap in the air and snow on the ground when I arrived at my inn, a modest lodging in Shima Onsen, a hot spa town in Japan's Gunma Prefecture.
Tea Leaves
Japan sees spiritual experience in the humble bath
Bathing is much more than a good long soak
An outdoor bath at an inn in Shiobara Onsen, Tochigi Prefecture. A sense of the divine power believed to reside in natural springs can be experienced at countless spas across the country. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
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