How come, Japanese people, who are generally identified as shy, can relax being naked in a public bath? This is a common question many of my foreign friends, who have never been to Japan or lived in Japan, asked me often. Interestingly, it seems most foreign friends living in Japan have already gotten used to the Onsen (Public Bath) culture and truly understand how it is worth trying. Japan has become an attractive destination for foreign travelers to explore the modernity and rich historical culture, eat a variety of foods, experience the color of nature in four different seasons, etc.
However, how many of them actually consider trying public baths during their stay? And for those who do, how many could perfectly relax and enjoy the new experience? I deeply understand people have reasons for not being able to be naked in public, such as religion, physical issues, and having tattoos, yet, if you are capable of taking the chance and just are afraid of making mistakes, or doing wrong, here are some tips that should help ease your worries and boost your confidence!
As a Japanese who grew up in a family that loved to go to public baths very often since I was little, I believe public baths should effectively help to relax. And now, I am living abroad and I find myself deeply missing it.
Onsen Day Trip or Stay in Ryokan?
Japan treasures a great number of Onsen, more than 27,000 hot spring sources across the county, and around 3000 sites are used. Whether natural hot springs or not, most Japanese-style hotels, well known as Ryokan(旅館), facilitate at least one public bath, and some hotels offer multiple baths in different styles, located in separate area.
Aside from the public bath facilitated in the hotel, there are many onsen places for one-day visitors, usually priced around 500-1000 yen.
Etiquette
Prepare right stuff
Don't forget to bring two sheets of face towel or hand towel, one for during the bath to cover up your body parts and one for after the bath to swipe your wet. You can also bring a bath towel but large size of towels are not recommended to take during the bath. Hotels of course offer free towels, and one-day trip onsen also usually sells towels at the entrance.
Shampoo and Soap (Option)
Normally basic soaps like shampoo, hair conditioner, and body soap are set at each shower stand, but if you have a particular brand you want to take, you can also bring your own.
Take off your shoes
First thing first, take off your shoes at the entrance and put them in the shoe case.
Find an available spot, rocker, or basket
To keep your staff, find an available space for yourself in the changing room. If it is a rocker, rock it and enter the bath with your key band on your whrist. What you need to get in the bath is only a piece of towel!
Wash your body before soaking into a bathtub
At the shower stand, wash your body showering off your sweat. No need to wash your hair at this point, people usually use the shower just to rinse off some sweat before getting in the bathtub, and after some point, get out of the tub and take adequate time to clean their body and hair with soap.
Japanese people use a piece of towel to cover body parts when they walk around, but please make sure not to drop it in the tub. As far as I know, these basic rules are applied to both baths for men and female.
Relax
Slowly lower yourself in the bath, and stay as long as you feel comfortable. You can also chat quietly with your friends and share a peaceful moment. No one is staring at you, keep in mind taking your fear or hesitation off from being naked.
Move around different onsen tubs
How long should you stay in the tub? It always depends on the person. In general, Japanese people spend 10-15 minutes or longer in one bathtub and move to another tub or get out for a shower. Some Onsen has open-air tubs that enable you to stay longer by enjoying nature and cooling your body with a cool temperature. Moreover, you can also try the sauna to boost your detox by sweating more.
The below picture is a foot bath called Ashi-yu(足湯) where you can put only your feet putting your clothes. Despite its small size, it also helps to warm your whole body and relax in nature.
Rinse off your body, wipe wet, and put your clothes on
Rinsing off your body is not recommended in some places because nutritious mineral covers your body and keep your skin moist and smooth, whereas it may cause the smell and stick on your clothes all day, thus, I personally feel better showering my body before putting on my clothes.
Food and Drink
You may find vending machines selling small-size binned milk, fruit juice, and coffee milk at the entrance. We always look forward to this moment with waiting in thirst. You can easily find beer as well if you like.
As mentioned above, Japan has more than 3000 Onsen spots from North to South and East and West. If you have the chance to travel across the country, I highly recommend visiting as many Onsen regions as possible to experience the diverse styles, unique characteristics, and relaxation exercises, health-boosting benefits they offer.
