There are few things more relaxing than taking a nice visit to an onsen (温泉) or hot spring - even monkeys in Japan love them!


There are more than 3000 onsen areas in the country, due to the large amount of volcanic activity. To be declared an onsen, there must be nineteen specific naturally occurring minerals, and the water must be  25 ºC (77 ºF) or hotter.

You can find a hot spring in most large cities, and there are many smaller towns that have become "onsen resorts". Gero (下呂) is famous for its hot springs, and they even have public foot baths (ashiyu; 足湯) throughout the town!

The onsen are usually divided by gender, and you're expected to enter in your birthday suit. The minerals in the water is supposed to offer various medicinal benefits, so bathing naked allows the minerals to be absorbed by the skin.


Many hotels and inns give guests the option of booking a private onsen for an hour, where they can bathe alone, with friends, or with loved ones.


If you're staying at an onsen, make sure you try the onsen tamago (hot spring egg) - which is an egg cooked in the water and steam of the hot spring itself.

Onsen Etiquette
When visiting an onsen, it's important to keep the proper etiquette in mind.

• Use the appropriate change room, and store your belongings in your assigned basket or locker.

• Bathing suits and towels are generally not worn in the onsen. Towels should not touch the hot spring water.

• Before entering, make sure you thoroughly wash and rinse at the shower stations.

• If you have long hair, tie it back.

• Enter gradually to adjust to the temperature.

• Many onsen do not allow people with tattoos due to the association tattoos have with the Yakuza. If you have a tattoo, check before you go.

• No splashing, yelling, or horseplay.

• Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Onsen Dive

Are you ready to hop on in? Take at turn at Onsen Dive (http://game.goo.ne.jp/choi/title/onsen)to learn how not to enter the hot spring.

To Play:

When you think you've gone as far as you can, take a screenshot and post it here! Everyone who plays and posts gets a bumper!

It was weird, no matter how long I held down the spacebar, the guy still ended up jumping on his own before I could release it lol. Still a cute game, and I definatly got some distance.

This is what I got.

I experienced a private onsen this summer. It was very relaxing.

I really want to go to a proper onsen someday. We stayed in one a while ago but it wasn't one of the better ones, I think, and we were all wary about being in the public baths xD Private ones would be nice.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

I really want to go to a proper onsen someday. We stayed in one a while ago but it wasn't one of the better ones, I think, and we were all wary about being in the public baths xD Private ones would be nice.

Hahahaha, I don't blame you! I was always too nervous to go into the public baths. I went to a few onsen, but you never get used to people kind of staring. It's... uncomfortable, haha.

Do people actually stare? Or is it just cause of foreigners? At least I'm Asian so if it's the latter, it shouldn't be a problem, lol.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

Do people actually stare? Or is it just cause of foreigners? At least I'm Asian so if it's the latter, it shouldn't be a problem, lol.

I assume mostly because I am not Asian, haha I practically glow in the dark I'm so pasty white. XD

My friends and I are planning fingers crossed to take a trip to Japan early next year, and one of them, who's been to Japan a number of times by now, plans to bring the rest of us to a bunch of onsen to relax after hiking around the country side. I like the idea of soaking in an onsen, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing so in a public one (I'm Asian so people probably won't stare, but I'd still feel awkward). Does anyone know if a private onsen is much more expensive than a public one?

I would love to go to an onsen! It looks so relaxing and like a lot of fun. Based upon the other opinions shared in this thread, I think I would be uniquely not bothered by being in a public onsen. But, I'm not sure what I would do about my husband. ): He has a lot of large tattoos, some of which I'm not certain would not be found offensive to a foreign culture. I had no idea that tattoos had that sort of association in Japan.

What about birthmarks? I've heard that if you have a birthmark, you have to use a separate onsen as well, kinda similar to the tattoo thing. Is that true? It would kinda suck to be separated from my family if we were to ever go

Whooo!

XD;

I got to go to an Onsen resort last summer, and it was so nice. It was strange getting naked in front of total strangers and some of my classmates, but once you are in the water all worries disappear. I did have to cover my tattoos, though.

Thanks to everyone who played, and congrats to Eidolune for going the furthest!

Sailor Mercury, Andalusite, Cosmos-Hime, Eidolune, Hikari-chan, and VenusLight, grab your bumper!

WHOOOO