Onsen

The hot springs are famous throughout Japan and they are everywhere. So Id like to share some of my onsen experiences so far...

First, there are some rules you must follow when soaking in an onsen. Most of these rules I knew before I left, some I have learned along the way.

1. You must wash yourself before entering the public hot springs. Makes sense. Nobody wants to be soaking in the grime and filth of other people. You have to realize that the Japanese are a bit Mysophobic, they take their shoes off before coming in the house, restaurants give wet hand towels to use before dining... In short, the Japanese are clean freaks. So washing before the onsen means scrubbing every square centimeter with a hand towel and full lather. A full 30 minutes of scrubbing is not unheard of.
   
2. Wash off all soap before entering the pool. Same as rule number one, public water must stay pristine.
   
3. Don't waste water. Keeping in mind rules 1 & 2, this one presents a bit of a challenge. Traditionally, the Japanese would fill one small tub at a time and dump it on their head, now there are shower heads. The showers are European style with the nozzle attached to a hose except there is an additional knob for switching between shower, off and faucet. Pretty simple except its written in Japanese and you are naked while trying to figure it out... The corollary to this rule is spraying people behind you. Unless they are your buddies, its not the most polite to spray your neighbors, so when you're washing your armpits you have to be especially careful not to miss with that upside down nozzle, or blam, you're neighbor gets a shot of water.
   
4. Check the temperature of the water first. This goes for both the onsen and for the showering area. Screaming like a little girl because you turned the wrong knob and blasted yourself with cold water is not the most polite thing to do. The onsen are just as dangerous. Usually there are multiple pools of various temperatures, some are wicked hot and some are ice cold (give your circulation a charge).
   
5. Male and female separate. Straight forward rule except sometimes there is not an English sign. Better to wait and see who goes in and out first, lest you want a scolding.
   

My first experience with the shared bathing was at the youth hostel. Pretty mellow place to learn how to use the faucets and double check your knowledge of the rules.

My first experience with a public onsen was at the Yamaga capsule hotel. Wasn't a big deal except I was surprised by half a dozen fellows with full body tattoos. Tattoos from ankle to wrist are generally associated with the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza. Now if you're already a little nervous about being naked with a bunch of Yakuza you double check your mental list of the rules first...

My next experience of consequence was at the Sakurajima onsen. The cleaning lady. Apparently, the grandmas who clean the onsen are exempt from the male/female rule. They clean without regard for who is using the showers and what they are doing. More than once the grandmas, the ones with permanently bent backs, started cleaning right next to where I was scrubbing away in pursuit of rule number 1. The same thing happens in public toilets, the grandmas think nothing of mopping the floor right next you to while you're busy. People with stage fright need not apply.

Most of the onsen are quiet and mellow. People are friendly and talkative. But some onsen are rowdy and loud. Jumping, splashing and the like. Kinda like a public swimming pool back home except its a bunch of naked men.Its kind of like a clean room. You got a dirty area, an ante room for changing, and a clean area.

Wish I could take photos, kind of funny to see a line of a dozen Japanese men all sitting on little stools washing themselves. Or snoozing in the onsen with a hand towel neatly folded into a square resting on their heads. But as you can guess, no cameras allowed.