A Japanese Spa for Winos

For every swimmer who can relate to the unpleasantness of swallowing a mouthful of chlorine water, a hot springs spa in Hakone, Japan, has devised a unique solution: the headline-grabbing new Beaujolais Nouveau wine spa, complete with a 3.6-meter-tall wine bottle that sporadically pours the recently released trendy red into a pool filled with wine-loving spa-goers.

The wine spa is just Yunessun Spa Resort’s latest in a line of unorthodox offerings. You can steep in coffee and green tea baths, lounge in a pool of sake, or relax in spa designed to re-create the feel of a steaming bowl of Ramen noodles. Fortunately, Yunessun has a few more traditional spas as well, like an ancient Roman bath and a Turkish hammam.

About an hour outside Tokyo, Hakone is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and has a number of hot-springs resorts—not to mention some incredible views of Mount Fuji.

Japan has risen to become the biggest export market for Beaujolais Nouveau, downing 11.5 million bottles, reportedly in part because the wine allows Japanese people to experience a taste of French culture.

Wine spa guests don't drink straight from the pool, but rather sip from refillable stemware instead. But we imagine the temptation is too strong for at least a few revelers. Watch a video of bathers enjoying the first shipment of Beaujolais Nouveau.

Photo: John Yap