Onsen (often marked as ♨ on maps) is a hot spring bath. Because Japan is a volcanic country, there's a lot of places where you can find a natural source of hot water, and people use it to enjoy themselves. There are lots of types of onsen including outdoor and indoor ones. A lot of the places tend to be in the countryside, but you can find some in popular tourist spots as well, and as a part of hotels or such。However, to be classified as an onsen, the bath needs to include at least one of the 19 signified chemical elements. Due to those elements, the bath water is believed to have healing qualities.
Before the Meiji period, all the baths were coeducational, but nowadays they are mostly separated by sex. In rural areas one might still find some of mixed baths.
It is customary to wash oneself thoroughly before actually entering the hot spring. The resort provides toiletries and towels(sometimes one has to pay for renting them though). Swimsuits are not allowed inside the bath, and sometimes wearing the towel inside the bath is also prohibited. That's why you can see people placing their folded towels on top of their heads!
There are a lot of onsen that ban people with tattoos. It's applied not only to men but also women, and no matter how small the tattoo is, one might not be let in.
Some of the oldest baths date back to the 8th Century AD, like Arima Onsen or Dogo Onsen.
One of the most famous hot springs is Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑) in Nagano prefecture where one can enjoy a bath with monkeys. Jigokudani means 'hell valley' and has been called so because of steam and boiling water that escapes through the frozen ground.
One of the most popular and recommended experiences is to visit an onsen ryoukan. One can enjoy an overnight trip, including a dinner and breakfast, thus bathing as many times as one wants. In such places one would usually get a yukata to wear, to ensure comfort and freedom of movement. Ykata is similar to a kimono, but much lighter and informal in a sense. In a ryoukan, you can use one for bathing, lounge wear and also sleep in it. If you have your meal in a dining hall, no one will look at you strangely if you show up in your yukata, as everyone just wants to relax and be comfortable! You can even walk around in it around the onsen resort! :)
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