Saturday, September 12, 2009

Getting naked with a bunch of dudes

So today, I went to an 温泉 onsen (hot-spring / spa).  It was segregated by sex of course. 

Needless to say, 温泉 are very popular in Japan, therefore it was full.  Of men.  Naked men.  And me.

To make things more embarrassing, I was treated to the 温泉 by Corey and his host family.  Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful to them for the experience, and I am indebted to them for letting me spend a night at their wonderful house, but being naked with strangers is something I can shake off with time, but being naked with your good friend...you remember that for a long time.

Anyways, to be honest, after about 20 minutes, you forget that you are naked and start walking around full stride like the regular patrons. 

Now that embarrassing confession is out, let me tell you how awesome it was!

温泉 heal you.  Literally.  There are salts and temperatures and water jets that when combined in seemingly infinite yet meticulously calculated variations, can and do heal you and make you feel like a new person when you leave. 

The 温泉 that I went to had both indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and mist-sauna, and like all Japanese hot-springs, a shower area where you wash yourself very thoroughly on small stone benches. 

I would love to show you some pictures, but for obvious reasons, I didn't take my camera with me.  I think if I recorded that in HD, I would be charged for some kind of crime--guaranteed.

Corey and I felt so great after the 温泉 treatment, that we decided to go back every weekend, time permitting, and get a healing soak while experiencing something that is extremely Japanese and a large part of their culture. 

For 2 people, it is only ¥700 per hour.  A very good price for the most relaxing and body rejuvenating experience that is 温泉。

 
 

6 comments:

  1. W O W ..... Now all I can say is W O W.
    hahaha

    We have similar baths in Hungary: naked baths for healing purposes based on natural springs with water with all kinds of naturally occurring chemicals in it, hot, cold, mud, you name it. Some of these baths are built in natural caves. In Hungary actually the Turks built them for themselves during the fifteen hundreds when they occupied us for 150 years.

    I didn't know it was part of Japanese culture also. COOL! And yes, in most cultures it's OK to be naked in front of the same sex. ...because it has nothing to do with sexuality, or at least it SHOULDN'T.

    Good for you!

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  2. hahaha!
    that's funny, but i always wanted to go to one of those "spa/sauna" things because, yeah, they are supposed to rejuvenate you.

    your bro

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  3. It is really a common thing in other cultures other than the American. We grew up in my soccer club sitting in the large hot baths after trainings (man, that was the best thing to do after our winter outdoor sessions), and sometimes as a team we went to visit public baths and saunas like the one you wrote about ... of course, naked. Anyway, I believe in its soothing affect also, and you should take advantage of it when you can.

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  4. Holy shit dude, I just got caught up on everything, and its all pretty damn awesome!

    I also went to a hot spring in China, they were really awesome for like 30 minutes, then it just got boring, because I was only there with my family :[ We also had swim trunks, none of that naked walking around stuff :P

    It was also a lot less natural than these (judging from the pictures).

    Also, whats so special about that hotel that you were freaking out about?

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  5. Sounds cool. i always wanted to go to one.

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