Making a creaking sound, the wooden entrance door opens, and Sumie Tamura is standing there with a friendly smile. "Irashaimase" - welcome - she says while bowing gracefully to greet me. Her distinguished appearance and friendly smile immediately make me feel at ease. Sumie Tamura is the landlady of Yamamoto kan, a traditional hotel in Kusatsu. The small city in the mountains some 180 kilometres north-west of Tokyo is famous for its many onsen - natural thermal springs which can be found virtual