About fifteen years ago shortly after high school I spent a week of our two week trip at an Onsen in Tsu. It was the off-season and we were among only a small h

About fifteen years ago shortly after high school I spent a week of our two week trip at an Onsen in Tsu. It was the off-season and we were among only a small handful of guests. The place was pretty off the beaten path and the staff spoke no English. I was not a Japan-o-phile, unlike my friends whom I was with, and yet I found a strong and unexpected appreciation of the beauty and atmosphere of the place, the rain, the warmth of the water, the process of purifying yourself before entering. It was formative.