|
Visitors to Japan may find the city’s hustle and bustle taxing after a
few days of shopping and sightseeing.
Lucky is the traveler who can step into
a Japanese hot spring bath after a long day on the road. As you stretch
out and are engulfed by the hot water, your aches and pains disappear.
In so doing, you participate and get to experience first-hand the
sensuous custom of communal bathing which has been practiced in Japan
for over a thousand years, and is still very popular today. Why the
popularity? Besides the fastidiousness of the Japanese for cleanliness,
the relaxation and feeling of warm contentment can be pretty persuasive
reasons too.
Whether young or old, the Japanese just love to go to the hot springs
which are locally known as “onsens.” With over 2,000
volcanic hot spring areas in Japan, there certainly are a lot of these
resorts and baths to choose from.
 For
a genuine feel of being “with it” with Japanese tradition, tourists are
encouraged to spend their holidays at the hot springs while staying at
the traditional Japanese inns called “ryokans.” Cotton
robes called yukatas and slippers are provided in every room for
the guests’ convenience in going to and from the baths.
For most people who are about to take baths in the communal onsens for
the first time, the first rule is always the hardest. Rule number one:
Strip.
There are usually separate bathing rooms for men and women. Unless a
practicing nudist, a lot of first time bathers would probably find it
hard to take off all their clothes completely and walk around in the
buff with complete strangers, never mind if they’re all of the same
gender.
Washcloths however, are provided so they may be draped modestly in front
of the body.
 Upon
entering the bath area, guests will find a row of faucets and shower
hoses placed close to the floor. Bathers are expected to take up a
position at one, squat on a low wooden stool which is also provided in
front of the faucet stall, and wash and scrub themselves vigorously with
liquid soap and shampoo from the provided dispensers. Visitors may also
opt to fill a wooden tub provided near the wooden stools with water and
bathe by using a dipper to pour water while rinsing.
It is very important that bathers actually bathe and rinse thoroughly
before entering the main bathing pool. It is considered very impolite
and a breach of protocol to bring any trace of soap into the pool.
On first stepping into the bath itself, it is advised to step in
gingerly and lower their bodies slowly as the water can be rather hot
that it takes some time to get used to it.
Once you’re completely in, the feeling is absolutely indescribable.
Stretching out in the usually knee-deep hot water, bathers may rest
their heads against the pool’s side. From there, you can soak for as
long as you want and just feel all the cares of the world slip away.
Some bathers sometimes step out of the pool, wash again in cold water,
and then go back in for another hot soak.
While it is usual to expect animated discussions among friends in the
women’s section, the men’s section on the other hand can be very
tranquil with very minimal conversation and absolutely no roughhousing
or splashing.
Foreign visitors may feel self-conscious being among pre-dominantly
Japanese bathers. Don’t be. Despite some urban legends that the Japanese
clear out of the pool when foreigners come in, this is definitely
untrue. For as long as foreigners observe the bathroom’s protocols and
do not go out of their way to attract attention, nobody is going to pay
them any mind. Bathers usually tend to keep to themselves paying no
particular interest to other bathers be they foreigner or not.
Sake and beer are also available on-hand to add to the bath’s mellow
ambience. Discretion and guidance however are advised as to the
uninitiated. The heady mix of alcohol and a hot bath can cause
dizziness.
 Most
indoor baths are made of granite or marble. The more traditional large
tubs however are made of cedar wood. There is usually a stream of hot
water pouring from a spout or gushing from a fountain. The sizes of
baths vary greatly, accommodating anywhere from a few bathers to
facilities that are proudly advertised as handling hundreds. Many are
rectangular while others are more creatively curved.
>>continued on page 2
|
