Ibusuki Sunamushi Onsen Natural Sand Bath
This laid-back seaside resort is at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula and may provide your one chance to try a therapeutic hot-sand bath. At the Sand Bath Hall "SARAKU", you buy your ticket and rent a yukata, or cotton robe—the small towel is yours to keep—on the second floor of the main hall. In the locker room you change into your robe before heading to the beach. Stand in line and wait for an assistant to call you over. You'll be buried in hot, mildly sulfur-smelling sand. Aside from providing a powerful dose of joint-penetrating heat, the stimulating, sweaty experience is guaranteed to cleanse your pores and soften your skin.
