Welcome to the seventh Dreaming Edition of the Japan Travel Trade Newsletter. 

We hope you are keeping well as we continue to practice good hygiene and physical distancing to keep everyone safe and stop the spread of COVID-19 in Australia and New Zealand.

It is still unclear when international travel will resume, but until then we will continue bringing you travel dreaming inspiration and updates. This month’s highlights include the launch of a new portal for Adventure Travel in Japan, a luxury hotel being awarded five starts in Forbes Travel Guide for 2021 and an update on a much-anticipated addition to Universal Studios Japan.

 #26: Onsen etiquette

Japan's volcanic terrain means there's no shortage of natural hot springs, called  onsen in Japanese. Onsen are not only great for relaxation, they also claim to provide other health benefits too. Here are some tips for first-timers:

• Onsen are usually gender separated, often with a red curtain at the entrance for women and a blue curtain for men. These curtains may be swapped throughout the day, so be careful!
• When entering an onsen, there will be a change room with baskets or lockers to store your clothes and other items. Undress here and remember: no swimmers and only take a small towel (often but not always provided) with you into the shower/bathing area.
• The first thing you'll see is the shower/bathing area. Before easing into an onsen, sit on a stool and clean yourself from top to toe, ensuring all soap/shampoo has been rinsed off.
• Now you're ready for the onsen. If you have long hair, consider tying it up so it doesn't go in the water. Look for the rotenburo (outdoor bath) as they often have great views (most but not all places have one). It can feel a bit funny going outside completely nude, but it's worth it!"

Please note, most onsen facilities do not permit guests with tattoos to use the baths. To get around this, book a room with an en-suite onsen, recommend a place where the onsen can be reserved for private sessions (called the kashikiri system), or if the tattoos are small enough, suggest buying skin-coloured patches from local drugstores to conceal them."