I've visited hot springs dozens of times, but one experience was by far the best. I stayed at a 400 year old onsen hotel in late winter(feb) with a private bath on the balcony overseeing a river in the mountains.
The loud white noise of the river, the terrible insulation and sleeping on the floor made the night not the most comfortable. But when I woke up early and went to the balcony I tested the water with my feet. It was still 40 degrees and it felt amazing in contrast to the chilly mountain air. I couldn't help but to throw my robe off and enjoy the bath fully submerged.
I only had an hour until checkout, but that sense of the moment slipping out of your hands made it all the more precious.
Hello HN! Author here. This was an absolutely _fascinating_ topic to research and write about. So many different perspectives and so much depth to each of them.
I am not sure I got all the parts about the geology right and would love any chance to learn from those who know better!
Have you seen Thermae Romae Novae? It's a manga with a Netflix anime adaptation about onsen. Very well-made and it was what got me first interested in onsen!
I haven't seen the manga version, but loved the movie adaptation with Abe Hiroshi in it.
@strobe999 linked to the Wiki article for the manga. The story follows Lucius, an architect in ancient Rome, who timeslips into modern day Japan. He carries ideas from modern Japan's bathing culture back and builds the public baths of Rome. It's a comedy, but a very informative one at that.
I saw that show, and as an onsen fan loved it, but recently I stumbled upon a pretty interesting article on how Roman baths were... not all that great from a health/hygiene perspective: https://archive.is/Y1un4
I was in japan for the first time earlier this year for 6 weeks. I travelled around with my japanese girlfriend and the first night we spent at a traditional inn in Hakone were we booked a private onsen later at night.
In short: It was amazing. It smelled a little funny at first but it felt incredibly relaxing, my skin felt really good afterwards and it was perfect to recover from the 16 hours of flight earlier. At home I also regularly take hot baths in the bathtub but it can't compare at all with the night sky view and the whole ritual around it.
I'll be back in japan this october for an extended amount of time and I will absolutely go to onsen every chance I get.
WTF. Part 3 is for subscribers only? This is one of the worst kinds of bait and switch I’ve seen in recent years.
Either make your article open, or make it closed. Don’t limit arbitrary parts when you split it up due to size (which you’re already doing not due to size but due to advertisements).
> Going to an onsen can at first be a bit daunting with all the rules and etiquette
It’s daunting only in that you are worried about them. As long as you wash yourself before you step in you’re not committing any crimes more atrocious than the Japanese visitors :) (and some of those barbarians don’t wash themselves either)
I’ve done both but in Japan the actual natural hot spring water is just an incredible addition to the experience which imo cannot be matched in a traditional hot tub.
About fifteen years ago shortly after high school I spent a week of our two week trip at an Onsen in Tsu. It was the off-season and we were among only a small handful of guests. The place was pretty off the beaten path and the staff spoke no English. I was not a Japan-o-phile, unlike my friends whom I was with, and yet I found a strong and unexpected appreciation of the beauty and atmosphere of the place, the rain, the warmth of the water, the process of purifying yourself before entering. It was formative.
Maybe this is covered in part 3, but some towns have a municipal onsen water service for private households. I was recently talking to a real estate agent in southern Kyushu who said that every household in his town could pay 3000yen per month to get unlimited onsen water piped into their home between 7am-10pm every day.
Do you know why 7AM to 10PM? That sounds like some employee is necessary to facilitate piping the water, but I can't imagine what role they would have that isn't automated with standard municipal water.
I've been to an onsen during a trip to Japan. The entire process, from the washing ritual to immersing oneself in the hot spring, is an experience that's hard to articulate
Whether it aligns with the marketing or is part of the "Japan fascination", I think, is really hard to say especially as an outsider myself
There's a tranquility to the surroundings, but it's often disrupted by throngs of tourists.
we weren't prepared for the intensity of the sun, even on an overcast day. got chafed and sunburned after a day out, a reminder that nature has its way. that being said, immersing in the onsen was surreal in its relaxation, a balm for the burns.
In any case it was an experience, certainly not a cheap one, and it was punctuated with moments of discomfort but also deep relaxation.
Second this. Even some cheap (~$30 per night) guesthouses have onsen. Also you can often get into the fancy hotel onsen by paying a small fee, even when you are not staying.
>In any case it was an experience, certainly not a cheap one, and it was punctuated with moments of discomfort but also deep relaxation.
Fancy onsen ryokan can be quite pricy, but I wouldn't say it's expensive in general. I'm currently in Matsuyama and entry to the Dogo onsen bathouse (one of the oldest hot springs in Japan) is like 460 yen per person.
Many hotels also have hot spring baths in onsen towns without it being too expensive. Dormy Inn is a good example. That's a chain of business hotels which always comes with a bath in the top floor. Price is a bit more expensive than regular business hotels, but nothing over the top.
Onsen are great (being out in a starry night in a rotenburo (outdoor bath) with a light snowfall is a must-experience IMO), but a lot of what you're paying for will be the traditional ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) experience and kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) that usually accompanies an onsen stay.
Personally, I'm a big fan, and I'd recommend everyone to give it a try if they can (but to also research the manners, rules, and exceptions - tattoos are a big no no in most public onsen). For those visiting an onsen for the first time, you can use a site like https://selected-ryokan.com/ (which includes private onsen) or (my recommendation) Booking.com to find something tourist friendly and read the reviews.
What blows my mind is that some are crazy hot. I recall one where I could barley keep my feet in only to have some local Japanese kids jump in as if it was a play bath.
Japan is in the unique position of being very different from western countries, while still being extremely easy for westerners to come to and move around in.
Onsen are geat! I love them. I especially recommend outdoor onsen (Called rotenburo) in winter when it is snowing.
You have to get over the first hurdle to be totally naked with strangers. But I often go at a time when it is mostly empty.
Disclaimer: I live in Japan.
I found them fantastic and wish we had anything similar in this part of the world. But I don't know you can possibly trust my answer, or any other that speaks positively of onsen, if you suspect people might just be falling over themselves with Japan fascination.
Yasuragi in Stockholm Sweden is a popular Japanese style spa retreat. Highly recommended if you have time to spare and relax. I love going especially in the winter to relax and leave the digital stressful everyday life.
I found the ritualistic traditions around it to be calming. I spent a few hours at the one I was in and it was silent and almost meditative. I remember leaving afterwards thinking that I had a pretty much blank mind while there and was entirely present in the moment.
1 was in a city and big and quiet plastic. 1 small suburban on that was very traditional and one near Fuji was about 50% outdoors. All were really nice.
I really wish we had something like this here in London.
Regularly. Sento and onsen are part of life and travel here in Japan. Some are better than others but they're always welcome, especially when on a bike camping trip.
Its marketing + the "conspicuous leisure" class over uses Japan all the time to signal/buy status. If you can afford it great. If you cant, its not the end of the world.
Onsen are available at all price levels, and popular with blue-collar workers; they are not a high-class exclusive activity. It's not like having dinner with a geisha or something.
1. They are gender separated. So when travelling as a straight couple or in groups you likely can’t share the experience together. Some see this as a plus. I see it as a minus. Put it down to personal preference.
2. Must be nude. Ok well I guess I’m just a prude, but I don’t enjoy the concept of being nude in front of others. Rules out German style spas too.
3. Bonus issue. Tattoos. Because of the criminal association with Tats in Japan you can possibly find it hard to use an Onsen (Ie banned).
I’m sure the Japanese have many complaints about Western culture when travelling too. Ultimately these are their traditions and we should respect them.
I visited an Onsen recently in Bangkok (artificial of course) and the locals were very vocal about any perceived lack of decorum.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t respect them. I’m just saying they aren’t for everyone and these items in particular weren’t really discussed in the article.
But even as a westerner, I figure the whole "must be nude" was a given, public or not. It is still technically a bath after all, despite technically showering before submerging yourself. But that may just be the decades of Japanese media exposure making something seemingly obvious to me.
There are mixed-gender onsen if you prefer, although they are becoming less common. But if you have difficulty being nude in front of others, you probably don't prefer that. Best to stay at a ryokan that has a private onsen attached.
The loud white noise of the river, the terrible insulation and sleeping on the floor made the night not the most comfortable. But when I woke up early and went to the balcony I tested the water with my feet. It was still 40 degrees and it felt amazing in contrast to the chilly mountain air. I couldn't help but to throw my robe off and enjoy the bath fully submerged.
I only had an hour until checkout, but that sense of the moment slipping out of your hands made it all the more precious.