Ryokan (inn) Ryokan (inn) A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that has existed since the eighth century A.D. during the Keiun period, in which the oldest hotel in the world, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, was created in 705 A.D. Another old ryokan called Hōshi Ryokan was founded in 718 A.D and was also known as the world's second oldest hotel. Such inns also served travelers along Japan's highways. They typically feature "tatami"-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan are difficult to find in Tokyo and other large cities because
Tamagawa Hot Spring Tamagawa Hot Spring The Tamagawa Hot Spring in Senboku, Akita Prefecture, Japan is the highest flow rate hot spring in Japan. The spring has a flow rate of 150 litres/second. It feeds a 3-meter wide stream with a temperature of 98 °C. The water from Tamagawa Hot Spring is very acidic, with a pH of about 1.1. There is radioactive radium gas and other radioactive materials dissolved in the water from the hot spring. There are deposits of the radioactive mineral hokutolite near the spring. Hokutolite is composed of a type of barite (barium sulfate), including lead and traces of