Onsen experience

When we leave Japan, I will miss the onsens. Onsen is the Japanese word for hot spring. To be honest, when I first heard about onsen experiences, I was pretty freaked out. You see, the only way to enjoy an onsen is in your birthday suit. And, they are public. Now that I'm over the initial shock of getting nakey in front of strangers, I really enjoy them. Of course they aren't coed, so it's divided between gals and guys. For Americans, the concept is a little bit strange, but I can assure you it's well worth the embarrassment. It's a very relaxing experience, and the water always has some sort of special mineral content, which I'm sure has taken decades off of my skin.

It's worth noting that going to an onsen requires following a very specific procedure. First, you enter the dressing area and disrobe. You typically bring a small towel, about the size of a dish towel, to be used as a "modesty" towel. If the towel is provided to you at the onsen, it's usually really small and doesn't exactly cover a lot. So, after you're in the buff, you gracefully and confidently walk to the shower area where you shower with multiple other women. Each woman has a little plastic stool to sit on and a wash basin to wash with. At this point, it's extremely important to scrub like you've never scrubbed before. Wash, wash, wash. Once you feel like you're squeaky clean, do it again, just to be sure.

After you're finished showering, you can enter the hot spring. Your towel and hair must never enter the water. I usually just put my towel around my hair. Then, you relax and enjoy. Many of the onsens have an indoor and outdoor bath so you can enjoy both of them. Also, some have hot baths and cold baths. And, many have multiple baths with various mineral contents specific to different benefits.

I won't sugarcoat it completely. It can be extremely awkward at times, especially for a foreigner. For instance, last weekend, my friend Megan and I went to an onsen. We were chatting while immersed in the water, and the woman next to us would not stop staring at us. It was an evil-kind-of stare, too. But, after living here for a year and a half, I'm used to it. It's just a little bit weirder when you're naked.