Japanese onsen facility (source: Le Furo)
A Japanese company has crafted technology to concentrate real hot spring water, making it possible to export the genuine Japanese onsen experience.
Tokyo-based Le Furo is aiming to export the “onsen” hot spring experience outside of Japan to the rest of the world. This is done through their “Craft Onsen” project and a line of products derived from natural hot spring waters and minerals.
As CEO Noaki Mita describes it, the products can be likened to espresso in that they are the concentrated components of real hot spring waters. This is unlike many commercially available “onsen powders” that mimic the relaxing color and scent of hot springs but are made of synthetic ingredients. Le Furo’s technology uses the natural minerals of hot spring sources, using a special method to make them soluble in water.
The “Craft Onsen” products come in small bottles that can be poured into water to create a hot spring experience that feels like the real thing. The concentration is about 10,000 times that of natural hot spring water.
The Le Furo Craft Onsen bath (source: Le Furo)
The company is now seeking to expand their operations in the Gulf region, with the Craft Onsen products an essential part of brining the hot spring experience abroad. “Here in Japan, we have this culture of soaking ourselves in a good, long bath to attain better health — that’s the kind of story that I believe (other countries) will show great interest in,” said Mita.
Hot springs are a central part of both culture and tourism in Japan, with hot spring destinations having been in operations for multiple generations. For this reason, it is an important consideration for geothermal power plant developers. Places like Okuhida Onsengo showcase the possibility that geothermal power operations and hot spring businesses can exist alongside each other, and even be in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Source: The Standard and Le Furo
AloJapan.com