KYUSHU, Japan – The little onsen town of Kannawa is an enchanted world with wisps of steam rising everywhere from pavements. Its retro bathhouses, fed by underground hot springs, seem to me like cinematic echoes of the Japanese animated fantasy film Spirited Away (2001). 

Exploring the alleys, travellers stop at public foot baths for a spontaneous soothing soak, restorative after a flight. Or they may pop into a chic cafe, enjoy a mini oden and chat with the young proprietors, as I do. 

The oden turns out to be an appetiser because, soon, I cannot resist a late lunch at Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa steam cooking centre (5-kumi, Furomoto, Beppu, Oita 874-0044). I choose the “Enchanted” solo diner’s set with lots of vegetables (1,050 yen, or S$9; additional 400 yen for steaming). 

I let the dozen ingredients steam in sodium-tinged vapours, guided by a volunteer, and my lunch is an aromatic array after 15 minutes. My egg gets its own ice bath and bamboo basket, an expression of the Japanese affection for detail, even in small daily routines. 

Steam-shrouded Kannawa is a district within onsen city Beppu in Oita prefecture, which abounds with more hot springs than anywhere else in Japan.

With its nostalgic bathhouses, local delicacies and lanes made for Insta-wandering, Kannawa is an ideal start to my “onsen gastronomy trek” – a triple indulgence in Japan’s best gifts to travellers.

On a trip hosted by Walk Japan (walkjapan.com), which pioneered walking tours in hidden regions, my companions and I relax daily in natural hot springs, dine on the freshest seasonal produce and trek on gentle trails. 

Over five timeless days, our small group will discover rural Oita and Kumamoto prefectures in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands.

Here are the three sweetest pleasures of the trip.

1. Onsen, morning and evening

The hot springs here vary greatly. Bubbling or still, sulphurous or odourless, clear or coloured. All are signs of the volcanic and seismic fo...