Japan's onsen tradition stymies development of geothermal energy

Tokyo

WITH centuries of tradition on their side, Japan's horde of naked bathers remain unmoved by the island nation's bid to tap a rich reserve of power equivalent to about 20 nuclear reactors.

The resource-poor country, which last year spent 18.2 trillion yen (S$233.2 billion) importing fossil fuels, has the world's third largest geothermal reserves, representing an estimated 23 GW of power, according to the International Energy Agency's geothermal division. Less than 600 MW, or about 2 per cent, of that capacity is being used at the moment, according to the agency.

Japan's hot springs, known locally as onsen, have been in use for more than a millennium as communal baths. Additionally, to this day, heat bubbli…