One perk of being in an earthquake prone country are the hot springs. There are thousands of these onsen in Japan and as a result hot public baths (sento) are part of the culture. Towns throughout Japan are littered with them and we've frequented them regularly. The etiquette is important but fairly simple and here is how it plays out.
Walk in from the street feeling sweaty and grimy. Remove your shoes, place in rack and don a pair of slippers. They'll be too small for you if you are a western man.
Purchase a voucher from the vending machine and present to the attendant. If you have no towel, you can buy a “nothing in hand” ticket, which gets you a towel, preloaded toothbrush, razor and soap.
Experience suggests now is the time to buy a cold drink, since you are about to sweat a lot and with all the temperature variations coming up, dehydration and dizziness are likely.
Girls go through the door with the red curtain, guys, blue. From here on, I tell the men's version, but I'm told the story though the red curtain is pretty much the same.
You're in the changing room and probably surrounded by five Japanese men in various stages of undress. At least one is watching telly naked, cooling down from his bath and hasn't noticed you. Some of the others briefly stare your way, surprised to see a westerner and wondering if you know the deal. You do. So no worries.
Clothes, bag, wallet, everything goes in a basket. Sometimes there are lockers, other times just a shelf. It really doesn't matter, since this is Japan and your stuff is safer here than in your house at home. Towel in hand, you go through the steamed up sliding doors into the bathing area.
The layout is a bit like the spa area of your gym. Large hot bath, sauna, cold bath, water fossett and jacuzzi. In addition there are a number of sit down showers and if you're lucky, a small bath outside (Rotenburo).
The towel that accompanies you serves a variety of roles, from covering your bits (kind of), to washing and putting over your head to cool you down.
Starting with a shower and washing thoroughly, you take your time, since the main baths are for relaxing in once clean.
Now into the big bath. The water is naturally hot (45+) and often steeped in minerals making it brown and feel soapy. There are ledges on the side of the bath so you can sit with just feet in or pretty much fully submerged. Stretching is OK, walking around with a towel on your head looks a bit funny to me but is also fine, but just sitting is best, releasing the odd sigh of relaxation.
Right, time for a sauna. It's hot (up to 100) so it might be quick. Sitting on thick towels or a foam mat are recommended.
The next five minutes will be quite familiar, except for the interruption half-way through by the fully dressed and apologetic woman who has come in to change the towels. Female staff wandering around the men's area is pretty normal. Perhaps a perk of the job, but probably not. Clientele tend to be middle-aged to senior, the rest are at work (at least when we are there).
From sauna to ice cold bath. Straight in, fully submerged then sit there with a cold wet towel on your head. Last time, as I sat shivering a man in the changing room lay down in a massage chair looking through the window. All I could see was his contorting face and one vibrating nipple. Couldn't help but laugh out loud and moved on.
If they have one, its time for an outdoor bath. This is where people lounge around and chat. Last night we went to an onsen on the top of a hill and the view of the city below us was fantastic.
If there's no outdoor option, just take another bath, but watch out for the electric seat. This has a large Japanese warning beside it, which you probably won't notice. As you swing into the seat, however, your body will convulse and it will feel
like you just slipped a disk as the electric potential applied across the ion filled water resets your autonomic nervous system. I guarantee this is not fun if you are not expecting it and only really serves to amuse the regulars.
Quick cold shower to cool down (otherwise you will sweat in your dry clothes) then you're back to the changing rooms. The guy watching telly naked is probably still there and your stuff is where you left it.
Back outside, time for another drink from the vending machine or a complimentary tea and then rest up in the tatami mat room before moving on.
You may be back tomorrow.
- Peter (Azuminoshi, Japan - 16 July)
