Japanese Spas Are Offering VR Experiences to Reduce Stress in Quarantine
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Several spa hotel owners in Japan have come up with a genius, novel way to tackle the plummet in tourism due to the coronavirus outbreak, The Verge reports. They've started uploading "VR footage" of their hot spring baths to YouTube so would-be tourists can reap the zen benefits at home — or at least feel like they are.
Ninety percent of Rykon (traditional Japanese inns that typically feature tatami-matted rooms and communal baths) have reportedly been forced to close in Arima, a town famous for its hot springs, due to the pandemic. The VR experiences are their way of helping people pull through isolation.
In a statement, the spa-owners state, “Japanʼs hot springs can help healing people in quarantine around the world, as well as increase the efficacy of the quarantine. This way, we may, even if only slightly, help reduce infections and suffering from the new coronavirus.”
Want to give the bath's restorative power a go for yourself? Then check out one of the videos below or head to the Arima Hot-spring Baths VR Tour YouTube page to watch them all.