Hot Springs

Nasu, originally uploaded by AdrielH.

For the first few weeks of summer, the Japanese head to the beaches. When they get tired of that, it's up to the mountains and the hot springs. We did a bit of the reverse and last week made it up to the resort town of Nasu.
Hot springs are a Japanese national pastime, and thoroughly enjoyable once you get used to group bathing (most are not co-ed). Our hotel had two sets of baths, each with several kinds of soak, from the rotten-egg-smelling white water to a greenish mineral bath and a plan hot water bath.
At breakfast, you had a choice of eggs soft boiled in the springs.