Culture Japan seeks UNESCO recognition for hot spring culture

Anyone surprised?

Known as onsen (温泉), hot springs have been part of daily life and travel culture in Japan for centuries. The government now plans to seek UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for what it describes as Japan's "hot spring culture." Officials view the use of hot springs not simply as tourism or recreation, but as a long-established social custom tied to regional communities, hospitality and everyday life. The proposal raises the question of why bathing culture is being treated as cultural heritage.

If the process goes smoothly, UNESCO is expected to deliberate on the registration of the hot springs around December 2030.

In recent years, hot springs have been used for regional revitalization. Oita Prefecture, which has the largest number of hot spring sources in the country, applied to trademark the phrase "Onsen-ken" (onsen prefecture) in 2012. In consideration of other prefectures with famous hot springs, the registration was settled as "Onsen-ken Oita." In 2018, members of the prefectural assembly in Gunma Prefecture formed a study group to pursue Intangible Cultural Heritage registration for hot springs. Gov. Ichita Yamamoto spearheaded the establishment of a governors' association in support of the hot spring registration and, as its secretary general, led the lobbying of the government. In November last year, the government's Council for Cultural Affairs evaluated the practice of bathing in hot spring water, concluding that it is a "social custom deeply rooted in the Japanese people," stating that it "relaxes the mind and heals the body through its therapeutic effects." The council selected hot springs for registration after successfully registering the "kagura" theatrical tradition.

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However, young Japanese seem to shun taking hot baths: a recent survey found that bathing remains popular in Japan, though younger people appear less enthusiastic about it. Among 1,100 respondents in their 20s through 60s, 66.9% said they liked taking baths, while 52.5% said they bathed every day. At the same time, 33.1% described bathing as "a hassle."

Younger respondents were generally less fond of baths. Among people in their 20s, 37.3% said bathing felt troublesome. A separate survey found that 55.1% of respondents mainly showered rather than bathed during summer because it was too hot to sit in a bathtub.