Bathing in Japan

My travels in Japan have taught me one thing.

• When a tall gaijin goes into an onsen hotel, the staff get worried.

Therefore, I aim to educate people into that wonderful thing that is:

Japanese Bathing Culture!

Vocab: 温泉 Onsen [Hot Springs]
　　　外人 Gaijin [impoilite way of saying foreigner]
　　　銭湯 Sentou [public bath (has no volcanic water)]
　　　露天風呂 [open air bath]




The basis behind this fear is usually to due to some gaijin having previously come in and incorrectly bathed.  Yes, this is possible.  One place I stayed in, had just a week earlier experienced the horror of an un-educated gaijin in their baths.

Admittedly at first I thought, "Foolish gaijin!  How do you not understand??"  Then I saw the type of bath involved and sort of understood.

So let's get on to it!

The Most important thing.

No matter how small the bath, DO NOT wash yourself in it.

This is where the gaijin before me went wrong.  I must admit, I can sort of understand, as the bath in questions was pretty much the same design as a small bath one would find at home, but it would have been filled with water already.

Do not wash here

The steps for bathing sensitively.

Every Japanese bathing area has a change area. Change there and take your washing towel only into the bath area.  Leave your clothes in the baskets.  Slippers should either be left outside in the shoe rack, or with your basket.

Logically, getting pictures in a bathing area is hard.  So I had to sneak these ones on a very quiet night.  I was the only guest there.

After entering the bathing area, there are will be a section with seats, buckets and taps.

Wash yourself before going to the bath.

This can be done a couple of ways.

1. Wash your manly/girly bits and bumb, rinse.  Then hit the bath to soak before going the good wash later (to allow for 'opening of the pores' or so I am told).
2. Thorough wash, rinse, then soak and another wash, rinse, another soak, rinse and repeat so to speak.
3. Wash rinse, bathe, rinse, bathe, rinse, bathe, sauna, rinse, bath.

Essentially the key is to be clean before you go to the bath and sud free.

Keep your wash cloth with you at all times, but avoid having it in the bath as well.  Popular spots for holding your cloth are folded on top of you head, or just on the side of the bath.

Avoid splashing in the bath

It may be as big as a pool, but it is not a pool.  No swimming, and avoid splashing.  Walk slowly to lessen the wake as you go.  No one like being splashed in the face by someone else's water as they pass.

Don't drink the bath water.

You'll look like a freak and probably get sick.

No yelling/screaming etc in the bath.

Chatting is great, but shouting and screaming is not great.  In fact it's just annoying.  Leave that to the little kids.

Second most important;

Relax and enjoy.

Onsens are a great way to relax and enjoy the scenery.  A rotenburo (outside hot spring) is glorious in the winter time or all year around.  Chat with the locals if they look like they're willing and have a relaxing time.

Have a picture of a bath.