Hot Spot

GETTING INTO HOT WATER Throw a dart at a map of the Izu Peninsula and you’ll likely hit an onsen, or hot spring. These naturally occurring geothermic sources are the primary reason Japanese tourists flock to the Izu, and rightly so: the baths, often attached to hotels, make for a stress-killing date with relaxation. Shimoda and its environs boast a number of splendid onsen inns, or ryokan, like the Kannon, 15 kilometers out of town. A room for one including two meals goes for $120 a night. Call (81-55) 828 1234 for reservations. But if you just want to take a dip, hop on the train ride Rendaiji station (one stop north of Shimoda) and go to the Kanaya ryokan’s sennin-buro , or thousand-person bath.

While most onsen offer a cozy, over-sized tub feeling, the Kanaya is a steaming behemoth of a bath, half the length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. A thousand people might be hyperbole (a hundred is more like it), but so what? With wood paneling, high ceilings, statues of frolicking nymphs and a rotenburo, or outdoor bath, this steamy classic offers bathers the chance to par-boil in elegance or cool off under the night sky.

Costing $6 per soak, the Kanaya is not cheap as far as bathing goes, but it’s a small price for a classy Japanese ryokan experience. The attached inn has lovely traditional-style rooms and offers visitors a delectable Japanese feast. Rooms start at $127 per night, including two meals. Book at (81-55) 822 0325.

One more thing separates the Kanaya from other onsen: mixed-gender bathing, a custom Townsend Harris found “indelicate” for “a people so generally correct.” A separate ladies’ bath exists, but the main room is available for both sexes to come and go as they please. Generally prohibited by the American authorities in post-war Japan, these old-style onsen are a rare find. If you get the chance, give it a try. Just don’t stare.