There are two types of bathhouses in Japan. An onsen is typically the bathing facilities surrounding hot springs, while a sento is a public bathing facility using regular tap water. The place I went to calls themselves an onsen, probably because some of the pools use genuine spring water.
Bathing is an interesting ritual in Japan. Due to small living quarters, it just isn't practical for many Japanese homes to have bathtubs. Also, because of its geographically active terrain, Japan is also home to many natural hot springs. As a result, going to the bath is a very popular activity, whether it's traveling for hours to an onsen town, or just staying local for some family time. A bathhouse is separated by gender, because everyone gets in naked! Wearing a bathing suit is frowned upon because the suit may contaminate the water. Also, rules against tattoos are very very strict, probably because of the yakuza. Anyone, male or female, will most likely be turned away from a bathhouse if there is a visible tattoo.
For a culturally conservative culture, Japanese people really don't have much modesty when it comes to being naked around their own gender. It's kind of comforting and freeing, in a way. I checked in my western inhibitions at the door, and after about 3 minutes, being naked around so many other women didn't bother me at all.
This local bathhouse is actually really nice. There's an outdoor and indoor area, both with multiple pools as well as several steam rooms and saunas. This is the sort of 'wet spa' that usually costs $30-40 to go to in New York. But here, I pay either $6.50 on weekdays, or $7.50 on weekends/holidays. And I can stay for as long as I want!
Of course, all pictures are taken from the website, as no cameras are allowed within the facility.
After buying my ticket from a vending machine, a receptionist hands me a key for a locker. I put all my belongings in there, and head over to the first order of business: taking a shower.
It may seem strange that a visitor would soap up prior to entering... more water, but it's actually an important step. Japanese people want the pool water to be very very clean, so they scrub every inch of themselves beforehand.
After getting squeaky clean, I used a couple of the interesting indoor facilities. One of the steam rooms has a big bowl of salt in the middle. You can take some of the heated salt, and use it to exfoliate your skin. It was kind of funny because the salt pretty much dissolved on contact, since my skin was so warm and damp already.
There are also two dry saunas. One of them looks like a regular sauna, with wooden benches you can sit on. The other one is rather interesting; it has partitions so you can lie down! I ended up not going in... I'm such a wimp when it comes to saunas and I didn't want to disturb the women inside by going in and then dashing out after just 2 minutes.
There is a hot pool AND a cold pool in the indoor area too. I saw little old ladies walk serenely out of a sauna and pretty much plunge into the ice cold pool... it was amazing. As for me, I just rinsed my toes whenever I got too hot!
One of my favorite spots at this bathhouse looks like two giant flower pots. It offers some privacy (although I've seen two friends get into one together), and the water isn't too hot. In addition, the new water trickling in makes a lovely sound. I almost fell asleep while sitting in this!
There are also two lovely rock-lined pools outside, filled with real spring water.
Another favorite pool of mine looks completely unassuming. But when you get in, it turns out that the water is carbonated and thousands of tiny air bubbles cling onto your skin. It feels slightly ticklish, in a good way. According to the website, this is supposed to be good for promoting blood circulation. No idea if that is true, but this was definitely the most crowded pool in the bathhouse!
I've only described about half the things you can do at this facility. It's easy to see how someone can spend a whole afternoon (or evening) there! I definitely had a very relaxing time; the whole atmosphere is very conducive to leisurely movement. This was a great way to bring Golden Week to a close... it's back to the grind tomorrow!
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