Hachimantai, Akita

Because of Japan's volcanic terrain, natural hot springs are found throughout country. Known as onsen, they are one of the highlights of any visit to Japan. There are more than 3,000 onsen in Japan. And many of them are rather different to typical hot spring spa resorts. There are lots of different ways of enjoying these onsen. Some have become popular among visiting tourists. Others are peaceful places out in the wild where you can sit and soak in seclusion. On this edition of "Journeys in Japan," Judit Kawaguchi is visiting Hachimantai, in the northern part of Honshu, Japan's main island. It's a wild region, about 1,500 meters above sea level, and it's famous as one of the country's major onsen regions. The hot springs in the Hachimantai area have been popular with the local people for centuries.