Hot springs in Shibu

A tight lane of flagstone runs through the Yamanouchi district of Nagano Prefecture, lined on both sides by dark timber ryokan with a recorded history stretching back more than 1,300 years. Nine communal bathhouses are distributed through the village, each believed to treat a different ailment, and inn guests may use all of them at no cost. Paper lanterns hang outside wooden storefronts along a streetscape that has gone largely unchanged for four centuries. Just outside town, the Jigokudani snow monkey park draws travelers who combine primate-watching with a stay at this ancient bathing village.