Japan's famous onsen or hot springs were long considered "un-exportable", until an idea struck Naoki Mita one day: What if he could condense them like espresso coffee?
Mita's Tokyo-based venture firm, Le Furo, has invented a technology it calls "craft onsen" – whereby hot spring ingredients are extracted and filtered into an ultra-high concentration.
Le Furo now seeks to use that patented technology to export Japan's hot springs overseas, with a view toward opening several onsen facilities in the Gulf region in 2026.
Transporting hot springs overseas long seemed logistically impossible because of the sheer volume of water involved, as well as their susceptibility to germs.
But with Le Furo's invention, "... just like you extract coffee as espresso, we grind the mineral resources to fine, sand-like powders," said Mita, the CEO of Le Furo. The entrepreneur says many commercially available "onsen powders" are synthetic and put an emphasis on mimicking the relaxing colour and scent, and don't necessarily contain the necessary ingredients.
Only after solid metals such as iron, magnesium and zinc dissolve into water does it become possible to chemically resemble onsen and recreate the therapeutic effect, Mita said.
Le Furo's technology sticks to the natural soil and minerals of hot spring sources, and uses a special method to make them soluble in water.
Its craft onsen concentrate comes in bottles or small tanks, which can then be distributed and poured into water in other countries to feel like the real thing.
Onsens – bath houses where patrons relax naked together in hot spring water of various temperatures – are a major domestic industry in Japan beloved by both locals and tourists.
As of 2021, Japan was home to 28,000 confirmed hot spring sources, according to the environment ministry.
Le Furo is setting its sights particularly on countries like the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia where "water is considered a more precious resource than oil", Mita says.
"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," Mita said. – AFP
