The Onsen: Everyday Differences - Take 2!

A few weeks ago, we joined some friends on a weekend trip to Hakuba. Hakuba is a small village, nestled in the Japanese Alps. It's about a four-hour drive from Nagoya and is located just outside of Nagano. Interestingly enough, many of the events during the 1998 Winter Olympics (in Nagano) were held in this area. You can actually still see the Ski Jumping Stadium and many of the little houses/cabins that the teams stayed at during competition. 

While Hakuba is known for its skiing (we skied at Hakko-one), it is also famous for various other winter sports - snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, etc. We rented a large Japanese-style cabin - basically the same as a cabin, cabin...except for the fact that everyone slept on the floor on futons - and spent two days exploring the area. On Saturday, I took a half-day ski lesson - since I am quite the novice skier - while the others skied and snowboarded. The whole Hakuba area is VERY popular among Australians! In fact, I think there may have been more Australians in Hakuba than Japanese. So, I was able to take a ski lesson from an English-speaking, Australian teacher (which I very much appreciated). After my lesson, the visibility became quite poor, so I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the "Mountain Top" Corona Bar and eventually taking the gondola down the mountain. This proved to be a good choice, as it took Kaz and some others almost an hour to get down the mountain in the snow. 

After a day on the slopes...we gathered our group and headed to the onsen...which brings me to the main topic of this post. Another difference between American living and Japanese living...the onsen (also known as the public bath).

Before coming to Japan, I had read a bit about the onsen. However, I'm not going to lie...the idea of soaking naked in a communal bath with tons of women I didn't know...did not really sound like an appealing thought to me. No matter how warm and enjoyable the water is - or how many healing health benefits it was said to have! And to be honest, the thought of bathing naked with friends was not so appealing either!! For over a year, I have actually avoided the public onsen. In general, I think that Americans tend to be less comfortable with nudity (and their bodies as a whole), which may be just some of the reasons that onsens are not really a thing in America yet (though we do love hot tubs and saunas). 

In Japan, onsens are part of life - and so the whole process is normal for most Japanese people. In fact, children often visit onsens with their parents. There were a lot of kids there when we went! And, friends and colleagues often go to the onsen together after group events or work dinners/parties. 

Essentially, onsens are Japanese hot springs that often have bathing facilities and inns frequently situated around them. Japan is a very volcanically-active country, and so there are thousands of onsens scattered throughout the country. Onsens come in many types and shapes, including outdoor and indoor baths. Baths may be either publicly run by a municipality or privately, often as part of a hotel, ryokan, or bed and breakfast. Interestingly, today, onsens are said to play a central role in Japanese domestic tourism. Even more proof that the foreign visitors are still getting used to the idea! :)

Private Onsen Etiquette 

What made me the most nervous about going to a public onsen was that I was not quite sure what to do...what the rules/etiquette were. And, I felt like a giant room filled with naked woman was not exactly the place to use the powers of observation. My Japanese textbook had some pointers and I had talked to some friends who'd gone before about it...and yet, I still didn't feel confident in knowing what I was doing. Plus, I tend to stand out in Japan - and didn't think the onsen was going to be any different. 

For those of you who are wondering, here are some fun signs that detail onsen etiquette. Basically, you go into a large locker room and leave your clothes and belongings in a basket. You then go into the shower room and shower thoroughly. Japan is very, very keen on the idea of keeping clean and dirty separate...and who can blame them?! You are allowed to have a little privacy towel with you as you walk to the bath; however, you must NOT put the towel in the water with you. Most people put it on their heads or don't use one at all. Then, you soak, relax, and let go of all your stresses and worries. If you can forget all the people who are doing the same right next to you! 

Before the ski trip, my only actual onsen experiences had been in private onsens. Kaz and I would stay in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) and we would have our own onsen bath in the room. These baths would usually have the onsen water pumped into them. I had also used a public bath house a few times, which is more like a pool locker room - where the whole building showers in one place. And, they also have baths you can soak in...which don't tend to be nearly as nice as an actual onsen. I think those experiences gave me at least enough of a foundation to "just go for it" and experience the onsen after skiing - even with friends! 

According to Kaz and my friends who have "onsen-ed" before, the onsen we went to was packed! Usually there are not nearly as many people; however, "onsen-ing" after a day on the slopes really does sound like an enjoyable idea! I think the fact that there were so many people actually made the whole thing easier for me - and it was not nearly as hard to figure out what you were supposed to do! Once I just let myself relax and go with the flow of the whole experience - I have to say that it was quite enjoyable and relaxing. And, my muscles were definitely thanking me the next day. So, if you want my verdict on onsens - I give them two thumbs up! :) I'm sure that I'll be visiting at least a few more of them before we leave Japan...I was looking at some outdoor ones the other day that give you amazing views of Mt. Fuji if the weather cooperates! 

Because I cannot just end my post talking about onsens, I'll leave you with a few more pictures from our trip. Saturday night - after skiing and onsening, we enjoyed dinner at a Mexican restaurant (there are not too many of those in Japan). The food left me missing Mexican food back home even more - but the company was wonderful! Then, on Sunday, while the others explored a new ski resort...Kaz and I (along with our friends, John and Nicole) did some snowshoeing and took in the beauty of Hakuba and the surrounding Japanese Alps! It really was the perfect weekend getaway!