Soaking Naked in Japanese Onsen

Of the many parts of Japanese culture I have come to appreciate, Onsen might be on top of the list. I remember hanging out with a tourist couple on my last Japan trip. It was their first day, and the wife asked me what was the one thing she shouldn’t miss to experience in Japan. It took me all two seconds to reply with “Onsen! It’s is public bathing in a natural hot spring. Believed to have healing power derived from its mineral content, it’s a MUST try while in Japan.”

Onsen

An integral part of Japanese culture, Onsen is a Japanese-style bathing facility, usually communal and surrounding hot springs.

I still remember the comment made by the Mount Fuji guide about Japanese people: “they love two things dearly, their rice and hot spring bath“. I must agree with the Japanese on both matters. Rice aside, imagine soaking in the hot water to relax, indoor or outdoor, naked. Tell me what’s not to like about it?

Memorable Onsen Experiences

Even though I had never really experienced Onsen until my first Japan trip, it wasn’t a completely new thing for me. I have seen Onsen scenes in Doraemon, the Japanese cartoon show I watched throughout my childhood.

The first time I soaked in Onsen was together with my two best friends in Shubuko (the Japanese temple lodging) in Koyasan. It was an absolute delight as we just had a long day of travelling from Tokyo and visiting  Okunoin, the biggest cemetery in Japan, in the rain. The temperature of the water was hot so we slowly dipped in to adjust to the heat. Once we got comfortable with the temperature we could really feel our bodies slowly relax and muscle knots loosen up.

My best Onsen experience was at a holiday resort in Lake Akan, Hokkaido. There were plenty of bathing areas, varying in style and temperature, both indoor and outdoor. Meanwhile, the last time I experienced it was in Kanazawa, in a beautiful Ryokan-like hotel called Sainoniwa.

Benefits of Onsen

There are many proven benefits of Onsen-ing, starting from relaxation, and health to building a sense of community because there is nothing like soaking in 40-degree water with your friends while bracing the winter weather outdoors to take the friendship to the next level.

Body Positive

Soaking naked in Onsen also forced me to level up my confidence. Because I have to strip naked and soak my unusual brown ass among the sea of porcelain-skinned women. Most of the time, I was always the odd one out. It taught me to embrace stepping out of my comfort zone again and again whenever I go alone without my friends who were either too full or too drunk to join me sometimes.

Rules and Tips

To enjoy Onsen first you must clean yourself thoroughly beforehand. Usually, at an open place near the Onsen itself, my guess is so that you can’t cheat on cleanliness before you join others naked.

Onsen is best enjoyed during cold weather, after a long day, and right before a meal, some drinks, and a good night’s sleep.

I understand the hesitation to strip down naked for the first time in front of strangers. Even I have my inhibition sometimes. Most of the time, I visit Onsen at odd hours, avoiding peak time because that way I usually get the Onsen to myself. It is usually right before or after mealtime, early morning or late night. A word of advice though, always be prepared for someone who has the same idea as you coming at the same time. Just accept and enjoy it.

Onsen in Pop Culture

The most recent Onsen scene I envied on TV was on Netflix’s Earthquake Bird where all of them were soaking in a beautiful outdoor mix-gender Onsen with a lucious green forest in the background. I also loved it when Shoshanna (HBO’s Girls) had a full-on Onsen session with her colleagues during her brief work stint in Tokyo. I so want to do that with my colleagues.

Another TV show that reminds me of it is Suits in which Luiz Litt is obsessed with mud baths. Though it doesn’t really relate to Onsen, I understand and share his obsession with getting into the bathing sanctuary to relax.

Soaking in Onsen is one of the things I miss the most about Japan (during Melbourne winters my yearning for it turns into an obsession). It’s yet another reason to move to Japan. And in my dream, I will be rich enough to have an onsen at my Japanese home in Japan.