As any foreigner living in Japan can verify, the Japanese work very hard. But meetings, cram schools and jam-packed rush-hour trains aside, they also know how to make the most of their free time and relax.
  A popular way of winding down is to visit a ryokan, an old-style Japanese inn. Often located at scenic spots and typically featuring a very traditional interior, with tatami straw mats on the floor and low lacquerware furniture, these establishments date back to the Edo era (1603–1868), when they served those travelling on Japan's mountain roads and highways. Many sprung up along the Tokaido highway to Edo, now Tokyo, to cater to road-weary feudal lords and samurai.
  As Japan has many volcanoes, many ryokan also have an onsen, a communal hot spring bath, where guests can let their daily worries dissolve in the steaming, mineral-rich water, before enjoying an exquisitely arranged meal in the evening. Kimono-clad staff, trained in the ultra-precise etiquette of classic Japan, cater to the guests' every need. At bed time, thick futon mattresses are rolled out on the floor.
  Today, there are about 60,000 ryokan in Japan, ranging from the very small to the very large. Some 1,500 of these belong to the Japan Ryokan Association, and as such must adhere to strict regulations for cultural aesthetics, privacy and hygiene.
  Though generally more expensive than modern hotels, they remain popular among the Japanese as way of connecting with a "good old" way of life that sometimes feels very distant in the city. To the foreign visitor, snugly wrapped up in a traditional bathrobe after a hot onsen, they offer a chance to experience a unique blend of culture and history.

Onsen hotels let guests enjoy the charm and elegance of centuries past, if even for one night Osawa Onsen Hotel