Onsens (Hot Springs)
 

Have you been to an Onsen? Do you like them? Are you comfortable being naked in front of people? :eek:

I never utilized an onsen as my Japanese friends informed me I would be denied entrance due to my tattoo =p

why? tis something wrong? is it "inappropriate" or something? or are they just hating?

Tattoos are really looked down upon in Japan. The Yakuza have a reputation of having exessive tattoos (though I have to say it's some of the most intricate and sometimes beautiful body art I have ever seen)

What's funny about that is that modern Yakuza discourage tattooing for that very reason.

hey thanks for that bit of info... iv always wanted to get some tattoos..

id love to go to an onsen... i dont mind about the naked thing... when ur packing what im packing you get naked every opportunity you get... joke.... but seriously.... i have a huge @#$%

Some onsen have signs prohibiting tatoos, because, until a few years ago the Yakuza were the only people who had them.

I think its a shame if the yakuza give them up - i think they were the coolest thing.

I enjoy the onsens and have been to some great ones. However, as a gia-jin, people tend to stare a lot. they are afraid we might not now the rules, and are curious 'bout body types. They seem to relax when you do stuff properly, though.

Well look at it from a different point of veiw, what do you think of when I say "oraganized crime" or "mafia" or even "gang"? People have a stereotype that they envision and usually avoid those that fit those sterotypes. If you match the streotype you're more likely to be under suspision.

As far as the naked thing goes I really don't care. The human body is just that, a body. It can be beautiful or ugly or in between but at the end of the day we are all the same.

are there many rules at an onsen? i know theres a couple.. like no bathing suits in the traditional ones.. is that correct? i read that some of the newer ones dont mind about bathing suits.. but when its my time to go to one id like to go to a traditional onsen..

EDIT: also how was your experience? was it very relaxing?

We love onsen. The same goes for Super Sento - sometimes they`re twice as much fun as real onsen. We`ve probably been to all those in this area (except the very closest one, as it is always packed), and take frequent weekend trips to others further away.

Nakedness is something I don`t really mind. I`m not thin, I don`t have a great body, but neither do a lot of other people in there. In fact, the most common type to encounter in the bath seems to be 80 year old women with pot bellies and pendulum breasts.
I`ve personally never really noticed anyone staring, or really anything more than a sort of "Wow, that`s rare" sort of look. More recently, I seem to draw the "OMG your kid is so cute!!!" crowd though because I take my son in with me.

However, that`s with Japanese in the bath.

I will never again get into an onsen with a foreigner. I have made this mistake twice. Once with family from the US, and once with a friend who wanted me to walk her through the experience. The same thing happened in both cases.
It was incredibly uncomfortable because THEY kept staring at my nudity, and they made a HUGE deal out of it - constantly commenting about the fact that we were naked, overdoing their body hiding motions, being shocked that I wasn`t more humiliated or disgusted with other naked people around, etc. It was incredibly stressful and nothing I will ever choose to repeat.

When everyone else around is comfortable with it, there isn`t anything odd about it.

Normally I don't feel comfortable getting naked in front of people but surprisingly, being naked at an onsen is very comfortable. There's a kind of atmosphere there that you wouldn't be able to replicate in the west, I think.

Well, there's not a bunch of rules. But, for example, there's the "bath before you enter the bath" thing. All along the walls around the bath, which is usually geothermally heated water, are little stations with a faucet and a shower on a hose. there is also soap and water buckets. It's appropriate to wash thoroughly from head to toe before entering the bath, or else you're just sitting in your filth.
In my experience, folks tend to watch until they see you understand the above point.
I think people are curious about body types, so they will check you out.

I find the older men are relaxed, but young men tend to hide behind their wash clothes in embarassment.

I like Onsen and been to a bunch. They are very comfortable, if you're not too modest.

I would think that anyone who takes bath with their clothes on is mad.
I was more conscious of my bad japanese then the fact that the people I was speaking to and myself were naked.

I don't think I'd like being naked in a body of water where there are other naked people.
For one I'd be terribly uncomfortable.
I'd be thinking of all the germs swimming around with me <<

And I also have a tattoo.
I think I'll stick to my boring bathtub.






Me to!

I would like to go to onsen someday..

I wouldnt be comfortable being naked infront of ANYONE, unless it was someone I was in a relationship with xD

So going to an onsen is a no no for me...

Same I guess. I'd feel really embarrased and ashamed to be honest! I feel it is a personal thing and I would be very uncomfortable doing it. But being a teenager this tends to be more prevalent.

Well certainly here, anyway.

In Japan, these things are normal right? I'm sure people wouldn't give your a second look because they are used to these things [unless your foreign I imagine?]

As much as I'd love to experience going to an onsen, I don't feel comfortable being completely nude in front of anyone, unless I'm in an intimate relationship with a person. Even when at the gym, I'd go change in a bathroom stall as opposed to changing completely in front of everyone else. The only way I do change in front of someone, is if I'm just changing my regular clothes and not having to completely strip down.

I don't mind wrapping a towel around myself, but I'm not sure if something like that is even allowed in an onsen or if it's frowned upon. Maybe if I were slimmer, I wouldn't be so self-conscious about it, although, I'm half and half on it. It's like a part of me doesn't mind (I walk around topless a lot anyway...never "bra less") and then the other part does (since I'm not as slim as I'd like).

As for others being nude around me, because of the gym, I've gotten used to it, so it's not really that big of a deal anymore. It's funny how I'm more concerned about my body than I am with other people's. lol

Of course, as goofy as it may sound, if I was ever in the situation to be invited to an onsen, I'd probably go to experience it, but I know not to act like the typical "gaijin" either who is hung up with nudity since I know it'd make me look stupid, and probably rude.

While I won`t comment on your personal feelings of discomfort - onsens are actually fairly low on the germs. A lot of people seem to have some misconceptions regarding that part.

Onsens (and sento, really) have been shown to have considerably fewer germs than chlorinated pools (and infinitely fewer than lakes/rivers/ocean, but that`s dirty by nature). The big points are 1) People bathe BEFORE getting into the water with other people. 2) The water is constantly flowing, and is always in the process of being changed.

People in an onsen are clean. They`ve just washed themselves down, and removed all the unpleasant grime. They also are naked, so no germ and bacteria bearing swimsuits. In a pool or other bathing situation, a swimsuit actually offers negative protection. Instead of keeping germs away, it actually absorbs them and holds them against your skin. Not to mention that in a pool, as everyone else doesn`t need to bathe before they get in, you might have a kid with a feces encrusted bottom who hasn`t taken a bath in a month. A bathing suit is definitely not going to protect you.

Nyororin, do you know how many times I look at your posts and want to say, "good point"?

More than I actually have, certainly. I will always keep your opinions in mind.

I've never been to an onsen but I'd like to one day. I don't think I'd mind being naked around other people who are also naked, plus most of the time you're covered by the water so people don't get the chance to stare for too long ^^ One thing that would really bug me though is the thought of being in contact with the water other naked people have been touched by xD! But then again, it's like in the beach or public pools, so I guess it's all good.

I am impressed by your modesty, and also by your... errr yeah, let's leave it at that for now ;)

Not everyone super washes themselves x.x there is always the selective few who are fast and lazy so can't guarantee everyone is nice and clean.

I've never thought about the swim suit thing.. but that's uh.. pretty damn gross. o.O.. and a terrible thing to read when you just bought 3 different expensive bikinis. Thanks alot .


Also, rarely do I swim in any body of water besides the one in my own backyard x.x



You act like you've seen it. << xD

Never been to one but being naked infront of people is VERY embarrasing.

Being as you also wash where everyone else can see you, that is probably a lot rarer than you think.

I've never been to one, but I'd love to go someday; it sounds really relaxing! Cleaner than a pool and bigger than a bath tub, with no one splashing around :D .

That's why you bath completely and rinse well before getting in. I'm a bit of a germ phobe, too. But people clean themselves well first, if it makes a difference.

there are some differences in body type and for men there is the circumcision thing, so sometmies there is a difference. Has anyone ever had a funny/different experiences at an onsen?

I stayed at a ryoukan with an onsen last year. Access to the inn was by cable car, and the car passed over the springs, meaning that anyone riding in the car could see the people using the springs below. I got to see a few bathers, and I got to watch the cable car pass overhead while I was bathing, but it didn't bother me.

The inn where I stayed had two indoor baths, and two outdoor baths. The indoor baths are separated for male and female, while one outdoor bath rotates, you need to look at the gate to see what hours men or women are able to use it. But after 10 pm, there was no restriction, so men and women could use the bath together. The other outdoor bath was available by reservation only, and only for half-hour intervals.

Onsen etiquette is simple. When you enter, you put your clothes and such into a basket. You are given a towel and a washcloth. Most onsens require that you leave the towel in the locker area, you can only take the washcloth into the onsen with you. Near the pools you'll find faucets and stools. Some have hoses and small shower heads on them, others have just a bucket. Soap and shampoo are usually available. After thoroughly washing and rinsing yourself outside the pool, you can then climb in for a soak. You can bring your washcloth with you, but it is not permitted to touch the water. You can leave it next to the pool, or put in on the top of your head.

Good onsens have a little sulfur and other minerals in the water. It may sometimes smell a little funny, but the minerals are harmless, and they leave your skin very soft.

In the shape I am in, parading around in the buff is not top on my list of good ideas, :rolleyes: but having thoroughly enjoyed skinny dipping in lakes and pools once in a while, an onsen has great appeal.

Knowing me, it would probably fall in anyway. I'll leave it outside, thank you for the information.

Also, don't dunk your head underwater. Very bad manners.

I would looove Going to an Onsen, But i would have huge problem getting naked in front of everybody S; Thats what keeping me from never going to one, :P

been to japan?

Nakedness aside... I really don't understand the big deal about onsen in the first place. I mean you get home from a busy day at work and you take a bath... I can see how that can be relaxing. But I'd never go out of my way TO have a bath.

As for the naked thing? Well I suppose it might be a bit awkward at first.

Just another cultural thing to experience when in another country. But then, you might find you like it because the atmosphere is cool and the water, geothermal heat and minerals, feels good. similar to visiting a shrine or temple, the architecture and history is sometimes interesting.

Never, :D But going to some day, :p

Fair enough. It will definitely be something I try at least once I suppose.