the customs to keep foreign guest welcome in the future. Visiting a
Japanese Onsen is not a right. It is most certainly a privilege
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Towel: big one for drying with and small one for washing and to hold over your privates
while you walk around if your modest.
Money: After you bathe, you might want to drink a beer, order snacks, or have a meal.
No Soap: Usually the Onsen will provide soap and shampoo and certain types if soap are
bad to use in certain Onsen due to the acidity or chemistry. Also some Onsen only use
environmentally friendly soaps. Finally some undeveloped Onsen have no septic systems
at all so soap use is not allowed.
Many times you are expected to remove your shoes at the door. Its easy to tell. If there is
any type of raised platform, then you should probably remove your shoes. Often little
lockers with wooden keys will be provided for your shoes. Once inside there is usually a
vending machine of some sort to take your money. Usually there are many options and
decoding the kanji to figure out which button to press can be intimidating. Basically there
is usually 2 main options- Adult, and child. Next you have the option of buying or renting a
little towel to cover your privates while you walk around and place on your head while your
bathing. I like them for souvenirs but bring your own larger one for drying off. Other
options might be a disposable razor or bar of soap. Just ask for help. People are usually
very patient. One thing you will never have problems with in Japan is customer
service. And the Japanese are very understanding of how hard it is to learn to read
Japanese.
a guy and you go into the girls bath. (Speaking from experience here.) It seems that
inter-gender shyness in Japan is only one way though. If your a girl and you make that
mistake you might get some bemused stares at the most. In fact its pretty common to have
the female help in the mens dressing room. I've been to many an onsen where the
cleaning lady is collecting used towels in a sea of male nudity and both parties seem to
just pretend the other doesn't exist. Pesonaly, I feel very shy with some lady I don't even
know in the room while I'm getting naked. Especially if she is my age. Oba Sans (Old
ladys) don't bother me as much.
head into the bathing area with you little modesty
towel. Yes naked. No clothes allowed in the
baths. (Exceptions do exist at certain super sized
amusement spa resorts. Make sure you look
before you leap!) Once in the bathing area, you
will usually see little washing stations around the
walls of the room with a stool, shower, soap, and a
little wash basin for rinsing. So grab a stool, have
a seat (might want to rinse it first) and start
scrubbing. It is extremely bad manners to soak in
the bath without washing first. Scrub up good and
rinse well. I usually can't tell the difference
between the soap and shampoo and I hate to ask
so I just pick one at random and
use it for both. Seems to work. If there are three
bottle, your really in trouble. One is probably
conditioner. Once you've scrubbed, then head
to the baths for a relaxing soak. Use your little
towel on you head with warm or cold water. Don't
let it dangle in the bath.
the Izu area.
Once your finished soaking,
you can get dressed or rent
a yukata and
head to the tatami room to
lounge around, take a nap,
get drunk, eat,
watch TV, read a book, etc.
I recommend a nice cool
glass of milk or some Ice
cold green tea, a
book, and 3 or 4 pillows.
cup of green tea and
comfortable and
elegant yukata
completes a
wonderful
Japanese Onsen
experience.
Hey what the heck,
when in Rome...
