The baths Japanese baths are deep enough to sit in comfortably up to the neck and are usually large enough for a number of people to bathe at once. The bath is filled to the top with very hot water which can either be normal tap water, or if you are at an onsen resort, mineral- rich onsen water. This type of water is incredibly good for you and can be easily recognised by its ( sometimes strong) sulphurous smell, as well as by its cloudy appearance. There are also iron- fed waters - more rusty in colour - which have different healing properties. Onsen waters are said to cure many ailments, from arthritis to rheumatism, fatigue and nervous disorders. Men and women normally bathe separately, except in some remote country areas where traditional mixed bathing can still be experienced. Bathing etiquette There are a number of options for taking your first bath, be it at a traditional ryokan or at a specific onsen resort. Baths are customarily taken in the evening in Japanese society, but most inns will offer bathing throughout the day. There may be the opportunity to try an open air bath called a rotemburo, a particularly atmospheric initiation into the rituals of hot spring bathing - gazing at the stars or watching the snowflakes fall around you. Enter the bathroom naked ( apart from a small towel which you can purchase on entry or which may have been provided in your hotel room and which can be used to preserve your modesty!). Swimming costumes are not allowed. You can take your own shampoo and soap into the room if you like, although generic brands will be provided for you. Shower attachments will be located around the bath and you should perch on the small stool provided to wash yourself thoroughly before entering the bath. Once you are sure you have rinsed off all soapsuds, enter the bath slowly - it will be hot! Do not take the small towel in with you. Relax and enjoy the bath. The Japanese are very proud of their long-standing tradition of hot spring onsen bathing, and rightly so, for a visit to the communal baths is truly a highlight of any trip. Onsen bathing is highly recommended both for its cultural importance and for the simple pleasure of soaking in a steaming hot bath, especially welcome after the rigours of travel. There are around 3,000 hot springs in the country, many in spectacular locations high up in mountains or perched on cliff sides. The art of bathing has become almost a religious act for the Japanese and a trip to an onsen can be the highlight of their year. Many ryokan inns or Japanese style hotels offer onsen packages including accommodation and seasonal cuisine. Light cotton yukatarobes are provided in your room, along with wooden sandals to use inside the accommodation. Onsen bathing Traditional onsen, Akita www. audleytravel. com/ japan ? 01993 838 210 ? Onsen13 Indoor bathing area Male bathers at Tsurunoyu Onsen

Kyoto For many centuries Kyoto was Japan's capital and to this day it retains the nation's greatest and most glorious concentration of cultural treasures. Kyoto is the Japan of the imagination: a city of grand palaces, ornate shrines and exquisite gardens, mercifully spared from the World War II bombing that razed other Japanese cities. However, Kyoto has not stood still, and this is undeniably a modern city where pockets of ancient Japan nonetheless linger and kimono- clad geisha still shuffle along narrow, lamp- lit streets. We have sought out some of Japan's finest ryokan to allow you to experience their magical atmosphere and to ensure that your visit to Kyoto is one of the highlights of your time in Japan. Such is the wealth of attractions in Kyoto that we recommend at least a few days here to soak it all in. YOSHIKAWARYOKAN, KYOTO The Yoshikawa Ryokan in Kyoto is one of a small group of much sought- after Japanese inns. The service is refined and the rooms, furnished in traditional style, look onto the exquisite garden with its pond filled with koi carp. You will sleep on a plump futon bed which is laid out and then removed in the morning by your maid. The Yoshikawa Ryokan is renowned for its famous tempura restaurant, which is certainly worth sampling. 14 Kodai- ji Temple gardens, Kyoto Geisha district walk The image of a geisha dressed in a fine silk kimono and teetering on wooden geta sandals is one of the most iconic, yet perhaps most misunderstood, symbols of Japan. Scores of books have been written about the elusive world of the geisha, many hundreds of photographers have tried to capture the beauty and grace of the women, and numerous films have been made depicting the stories of refined tea house entertainment, strict okiyatraining houses and, of course, the love, lust and romance that have long been associated with the geisha community. In their 1920s heyday, there were more than 80,000 geisha in Japan. Today, based mostly in Kyoto's hanamachi districts ( literally ' flower towns'), there are fewer than 2,000. Geisha attend private functions, entertaining both male and female guests and can be see scuttling between appointments in the Gion district every evening. They can also be seen performing traditional dances at exclusive restaurants around the city or at luxury ryokan, although these private engagements come with a high price tag. A far more accessible way to see geisha is to take an evening walk around Gion with our guide Duncan and his wife Izumi who have been working with Audley since 2005 to help shed some light on the exclusive and mysterious world of the geisha and other aspects of Japanese culture. Geisha, Gion