Seven Minds, One Hot Spring: A Conversation Across Time Beneath a glowing autumn sky, seven figures from Japan’s cultural and intellectual history gather beside a mountain hot spring: En no Ozunu, Gyōki, Kūkai, Hayashi Razan, Banri Shūku, Udagawa Yōan, and Erwin von Bälz. This imagined meeting brings spiritual practice, poetry, philosophy, chemistry, and medicine into a single conversation. Surrounded by crimson maples, cascading water, and rising steam, they share the warmth of the spring—and their curiosity about its meaning. Across the centuries, hot springs have offered more than a place to bathe. They have inspired healing, reflection, discovery, and human connection.Course Contents 1. Hot Springs and Human History: Recognizing Their Healing Potential 2. Japan’s Three Ancient Hot Springs and Their Place in Japanese History 3. The Historical Figures Who Celebrated Japan’s Three Great Hot Springs 4. The People Who Helped Popularize Hot Springs in Edo-Period Japan 5. The Rise of Hot Springs as a System of Therapeutic Care 6. The Era of Chemical Classification of Hot Springs 7. Understanding Today’s Classifications of Mineral Springs and Therapeutic Springs 8. How to Read a Hot Spring Water Analysis Report
