Shibu Onsen

Bathing culture and onsen, or "natural hot springs," are quintessential to Japanese life and are often highlighted in depictions of the country. As a result, many famous onsen towns exist, each with its own special springs. Shibu Onsen is no exception, with nine healing baths said to bring good fortune and grant one's wishes if all are visited.

With a history stretching back more than 1,300 years, Shibu Onsen is a small town in the Japanese Alps best known as the only place where snow monkeys bathe. Nationally, it is better known for its hot springs, which are dotted around the town's old center.

Unlike most places, they are not run as individual businesses but are managed centrally by a committee, and are only open to residents or guests staying in one of the many ryokan, or "traditional guest houses," some over 400 years old. Guests then receive a key and a special towel to enjoy the springs.

Tradition dictates that visitors stamp the towel at each of the nine springs, after which they can get a tenth stamp at the local Shibutaka Yakushi Temple, allowing them to receive a blessing or make a wish.

While Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki has never officially confirmed it, the town's Kanaguya Ryokan is widely regarded as an inspiration for the bathhouse in Spirited Away.