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In Japan, June 26 is Rotenburo Day (Open-air Bath Day), due to the double meanings in the syllables that make up the word rotenburo , with ro sounding like roku or “six”, ten being the word for a decimal point used between numbers, bu being an alternate reading of fu , or “two”, and ro being “six”, giving us the date “6.26“. While most people would let this day pass them by without even knowing of its existence, onsen lovers use it as an excuse to get out there and take a soak in the great outdoors.

Our reporter Seiji Nakazawa is one of those people, but as he was in the office working late and unable to sink into a rotenburo like he wanted, he decided to share a memorable rotenburo experience with us instead. Having visited dozens, if not hundreds, of hot springs in his lifetime, Seiji is something of an onsen connoisseur, so for a bath to stand out for him, it has to be special. When he told us the hot spring was called Yudomari Onsen, in Yakushima — a World Heritage-listed island said to be one of the inspirations for the Studio Ghibli movie "Princess Mononoke" — we immediately added it to our bucket list.



▼ Yakushima is world-famous for its pristine forests. According to Seiji, there are a couple of things that make this outdoor bath memorable, with one being the cost, because at 300 yen per visit, he believes it’s one of the cheapest rotenburo in all of Japan. However, as with many special travel experiences, it’s the way he discovered the hot s.

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