Onsen

"After a long day or week, few things are more relaxing than hanging out naked with some strangers in a Japanese-style bath."

If you don't believe the above statement, you have to at least give it a try. Use this guide to find yourself a good onsen.

Onsen Etiquette

The rules that govern how Japanese people make use of the hot springs their country is blessed with date back long into its history, and were pseudo-codified in the Edo era when bathhouses grew in popularity.

Japan is a culture steeped in all sorts of social etiquette and this can be intimidating for those of us who didn't grow up here. In almost every case, simply displaying a willingness to learn the etiquette will endear you to most Japanese people, and if you mess up a simple look or "sorry" will completely erase any wrong-doing from your slate. However, the if there is one place where you really need to follow the rules to the letter, it's the onsen. Violating the inherent etiquette will cause everyone else's hackles to rise, whether they are Japanese or onsen-accustomed foreigners.

What You Need

• A towel, standard size, to dry yourself off with after you get out of the bath. This is generally known in katakana as a "bath towel"
• A wash cloth to be used before you get in the bath. This is generally referred in to in katakana as a "face towel".
• No fear of whether other people see your bits.
• Everything else is optional. 99% of onsen have soap, shampoo, and often conditioner in the shower area for you to use, and there will generally be a basic set of cosmetics in the changing room for use after you get out of the bath, including hair dryers. However many people will bring their own soap and extra cosmetics, often bringing them in a basket.

The Steps

Everything you have to do between entering the door and entering the bath.

1. The first step is the easiest -- all onsens require you to take off your shoes at the door
2. If you are going to a sento or stand-alone onsen, you'll have to pay here. There is often a ticket machine, or you may just have to talk to the clerk. You should have your towel and wash cloth with you, and if you forgot them you can likely buy or rent them from the clerk. If staying at a hotel with an onsen, just bring the ones from your room; otherwise bring them from your home.
3. Take the all-important fork in the road. Even if you can't read the kanji for men and women, they are almost universally colored blue for men and red for women; no worries.
4. You'll now walk into the changing room which will have either a number of lockers or baskets. Find yourself one (bigger onsen may pre-assign lockers).
5. Take off every piece of clothing you have on until you are 100% naked. Stuff everything into your locker or basket.
6. Leaving your big towl in the locker/basket and taking only your wash cloth, and any extra soap/shampoo you have brought, and head for the nearby steamy door that leads into the bath. In you go.
7. To cover or not to cover? Whether you cover up your privates with the wash cloth is entirely up to you, you will see people that are doing so and others who are not. There is no official rule here.
8. You're now in the bath area, go immediately to the showers. The showers will all be sit-down style, and are generally in rows/lines in some corner of the bath area. Do not get in the bath. You are however permitted to take a bowel of hot water from the bath and dump it on yourself...just don't get in (yet).
   
   Note: If you frequent onsen, you will likely see some people, almost always old people, just take a bowel of hot water from the bath, dump it over them, and hop in. Understand that in the old days this is was the norm, however soaping up and washing yourself before getting in is now all but a required part of onsen etiquette. Old people either don't know this or (much more often) know it but just ignore it because they can get away with it. Concerns about hygiene have increased in recent decades though, and when the average Japanese person sees this, they will not say anything but be seething on the inside -- nobody likes having their nice relaxing onsen wa broken, and that is exactly what happens when someone just tosses water on themselves and hops in. Most large onsen now have signs up advising people not to do this, but you are still liable to see people do it from time to time anyway. Don't be that guy.
   
   
9. Have a seat at a shower. Wash up and rinse off. If it's crowded and there are people next to you, it's hard to keep from splashing them at all, but be weary of the splash effect as if you aren't you may very well get yelled at. Some people will shave and/or brush their teeth at their shower seat as well.
10. Make sure there is absolutely no soap whatsoever left on you, then you may at last proceed to your prize -- a nice relaxing soak in the onsen. You must keep your wash cloth with you however, and the two standard methods are to leave it on the side of the bath or fold it up and wear it and lay on top of your head.
11. Just sit and relax while in the bath, don't splash or swim around, though you will occasionally see people doing exercise-like motions. People may chat you up if you're alone, don't be alarmed.
12. When you're done with your bath, just head back out to the changing room, or perhaps into the sauna if there is one. Congratulations, you have conquered the onsen!

Other Tidbits

• If the water is too hot (common in winter), sit on the edge and put yourself into the onsen one section at a time. Let each section sit in the water for a minute or so, then slide in a bit more of yourself; through this method you'll get used to the water and be able to enjoy the bath once you're all the way in.
• Japanese people have a strong belief in the healing powers of hot water and especially its ability to make your skin healthy and smooth. For this reason, people generally do not wash of after getting out of the onsen.
• Almost any doctor in Japan will advise you not to get in a bath/onsen when you're sick, especially feeling a little sick. If you're feeling you have a cold coming on, it's best to avoid the onsen as the air your body is exposed to when you first step out of the onsen -- relatively frigid compared to the bath you were just in -- will very likely worsen/speed up your illness.
• Many standard sized business hotels in Japan have a public bath, often on the top floor, that functions like a sento or onsen. They are not proper "onsen hotels", but for a lot less money booking one these hotels can get you a nice a hot soak after a day of travel. Capsule hotels also generally have baths, but they are almost always limited to men only.

Recommended Onsen

Northern Mie

• Kuwana : Nagashima Onsen

  Both natural and man-made. There are a number of onsen hotels right next to Nagashima Spa Land that allow visitors to the amusement park to make use of the onsen for a few hundred yen -- much cheaper than staying overnight at these fairly luxurious ryokan-style hotels. Some of the baths at these hotels are quite scenic.

• Suzuka : Hana Shōbu

  Man-made. Very new and modern onsen complex near Bell City containing a number of different baths. The unique man-woman (clothed) sauna facilities within the complex are truly impressive and beat almost all other man-made onsen or sento.

Central Mie

• Tsu : Sakakibara Onsen

  Natural. Probably Mie's most well-known onsen town. It was considered in the Heian Era to be one of the top three best onsen in Japan, however in the Edo Era its position on this list was revoked and given to Gero Onsen. Accessible by bus from either Hisai Station or Sakakibara-onsen-guchi Station.

Eastern Mie

None listed

Western Mie

None listed

Southern Mie

None listed

Outside Mie

• Osaka : Spa World

  Super Sento. Humongous multi-story facility in Osaka's Tennoji area, sometimes referred to as an "onsen amusement park". Contains thematic onsens from all over the world, as well as a pool and large relax chambers with reclining chairs, which you are permitted to stay overnight in as Spa World is open 24 hours a day. It also has restaurants and some arcades. Standard entry is ¥2000, however there are seasonal specials where you can get in for only ¥1000.

  The closest stations are Shin-Imamiya (新今宮) on the JR loop and Nankai, and Dōbutsuen-mae (動物園前) on the Midōsuji red subway line -- either station is only a five minute ride south of Namba.