Does the thought of being naked in front of dozens of
people make you uneasy? How about having your body buried in hot sand or
watching fish feed off your skin? Maybe you’d prefer to walk barefoot over
hundreds of rocks or perhaps take a bath outside in the dead of winter?
Out of context, none of these sound very appealing,
but here in Japan they are precisely the type of activities that people seek
out when they’re after some pampering and relaxation. No, they’re not crazy
masochists; they are simply enjoying some of the services on offer at thousands
of onsen around Japan.
The Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari in Tokyo’s Odaiba area has
taken the traditional onsen to a whole new level. Calling itself an onsen ‘Theme Park’ it not only provides
the bath and massage services on offer at other establishments, but it also has
a range of shops, restaurants and activities – more than enough to keep you
amused for hours. The main
communal area has been set up in a ye-olde-Japanese-street style, complete
with fortune tellers, souvenir shops and traditional games. Outside, in a Japanese garden setting, there is a 50-meter footbath – the base of
which is lined with pebbles to ‘soothe’ weary feet (mostly they’re just kind of
painful to walk on). The
Oedo-Onsen also offers a variety of treatments such as Dr. Fish and sand or
rock massages.
If you’re ever in Japan, shed your inhibitions along with
your clothes and enjoy this cultural experience. Regardless of whether you go for an out and out traditional
onsen or something more modern like the one mentioned above, here
are a few pointers to help you along;
一 Onsen
is a Japanese term for ‘hot springs’ (the water source, not the bouncy mattress
variety) and is often used to refer to public bath-houses in Japan.
ニ Typically, the water in onsen is drawn from natural hot springs, providing
mineral-rich baths considered to have healing properties for anything from
arthritis and muscle strain to skin disorders.
三 Onsen are generally segregated into separate male and female nude bathing areas. There are often also clothed communal areas in which families, couples and friends can relax together.
四 Most bath-houses contain one or several baths and some may have a sauna room or two.
五 People
with ‘visible tattoos’ may be denied entry into the bath-houses (what’s not visible
when you’re naked, I’d like to know?) This rule apparently harks back to the
days when Yakuza (Japanese mafia) were identifiable by their skin art.
六 Upon
entering the bath-house, wash yourself before getting into a bath. It’s considered unhygienic and bad form not to do so - and will most likely result in people getting out of the baths or worse still, they will stare at you... and given the fact that you're naked, this is something you'd probably want to avoid.
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