My First Onsen Trip

Hello everyone!

So this happened wayyyyy back when I first got to Japan, but I wanted to share my first experience at an Onsen with you all! Onsen (温泉) literally means Warm Spring or Fountain. At Onsen, people bathe in hot water that comes from underground springs heated by the earth. It is a part of Japanese culture that continues to be enjoyed even today in the big cities. It can be done in both private and in public, though to bath in public is more common. So today I wanted to share what it's like, what you do/don't do, and how to make the most out of your own Onsen experience.

(Myself outside of the Odedo Onsen Monogatari)

My first experience was when my friend Ikumi took me to the Oedo Onsen Monogatari (大江戸温泉物語). Oedo was the respectful name of Tokyo during the Edo period of Japan when Tokyo became the capital. Monogatari literally means 'Story'. So at this particular Onsen, hosts attempt to let guests experience a piece of old Tokyo (with messages, omiyage/souvenirs, and yummy sweets of course).

(Puppets told a story above the entry way inside similar to how they were created in the Edo Period)

We got up early in the morning to take the train to the onsen which was located on the man-made island of Odaiba (お台場). Odaiba is full of fun and entertaining things to do with a shopping mall, several museums, the Fuji TV building, and a theme park to boot (Oh, and a giant robot that moves, no big deal). But today our sites were set on the onsen. Getting off at ---, we proceeded down the elevator and walked over to the Onsen. Yeah!!

 (The Entrance Outside)

This onsen is a bit like a get away resort, for both young and old and everywhere in between. I was surprised as I learned that they regularly have themed events/seasons and this time their theme was "Tiger & Bunny: The Rising" an anime movie out in theaters at the time. As a series I recognized, it just got me more pumped (and slightly embarrassed in front of Ikumi) to go into the hot springs!

(The line to get inside the onsen)

When you go into any onsen, you take off your shoes at the door and often you will find little lockers off to the side. Put your shoes inside, grab the key and take it with you when you check in (just don't forget your locker number!) We did this and lined up to check in. At this onsen, they gave us bracelets with locks inside them as well as a barcode. We would use these to access the lockers in the first locker room and the barcode was there so that we wouldn't have to carry cash around. If you wanted to buy something, you had them scan the barcode and like that, it was added to your final bill (reasons to be watchful of how much you spend: it could add up quick without you even realizing it!).

After receiving these bracelets, we went to the side where we were able to select Yukata (浴衣), cotton robes similar to the style of a Kimono (着物) as well as an Obi (帯), a sash or belt for the Yukata. We went inside and left most of our belongs in the women's locker room, save for our phones. We then changed into the Yukata.

(One of the clever Promos showing two male characters in Yukata)

Inside there they had signs in several languages showing us how to put on a Yukata. Most important of all was which side of the Yukata went under the other. In Japan, if you do it the wrong way, it is reminiscent of how the Dead are prepared! The correct way is to place the left side (your left) over the right side (your right). Women and men can wear undergarments with Yukata too if that makes them more comfortable. While there are other things that one can do to create a nicer finish for a Yukata because this was a resort, no one particularly took a lot of time to make them look super nice aside from that. Once we took care of that and tied our Obi into bows, it was time to go off and explore!

 (Part of the main area; they really got into the T&B theme!)

Upon exiting the locker room, we found ourselves inside a large hall filled with food shops, games, and snack shops. We looked around, taking in everything that there was to see and do before deciding to go to the Onsen itself. Onsen in Japan are separated by gender, with no possibility of seeing the other. This Onsen was a public onsen and thus once you got into the onsen locker room, everyone takes off everything, puts it in their lockers (you put your keys and phone if you have one inside and take the new locker key into the onsen on your wrist), and goes into the onsen.

(Sorry, but once you entered the onsen area itself, no photos are allowed for obvious reasons, so just text for a bit!) 

Having never done this before, I found it reallyyyyyyyyyyy awkward at first. I remember holding one of two towels that I received in front of me hiding myself from others as we walked from the lockers into the actual onsen area. Before going in, at this onsen there was a small little house like structure with buckets and water used for washing one's self off before entering the pool. It was at this point that I sucked it up, removed the towel and washed my body quickly before grabbing the towel again. While if you wish, you can go around, sit down at one of the sinks and wash yourself with soap, you can also go into the onsen straight after this. You are asked to wear a hair tie if you have long hair, but aside from that and your key bracelet, nothing else is to go in the water, including your towel.

So finally it came down to getting in the water with nothing on in front of everyone. Removing the towel, I quickly entered the water, which did a good job at hiding most of my body. Many onsen have minerals in the water, making it less clear to see through. But my sheer embarrassment was soon replaced by a thrilling relaxation that came from entering the onsen. Pure bliss.

As we jumped from various onsen to onsen, I became less self-conscious about myself and started to appreciate the nature of the onsen. At the onsen, no one really pays any heed to what others look like and if I did see someone, I just thought 'huh, I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't look like a supermodel' and it felt good to realize that. Everyone has this part or that part and everyone is there to bathe and relax. The only thing that surprised me was when I saw a little boy in the women's area with his mother, but I was informed that when children are that little, it is very common for them to bathe with their parents in Japan and not to worry at all.

The Oedo Onsen Monogatari had several onsen, both inside and out. Outside, walls went up high to hide the bathers, so we could calmly relax in one of the busiest cities in the world. Talk about irony, right? I learned to keep the small towel on my head so that heat wouldn't escape my body, which in turn kept me from getting light headed. I also found sometimes raising my feet out of the water to be helpful in preventing myself from feeling overheated (some of these pools were over 42 degrees Celsius!) After going to the majority of the onsen, we went into a sauna room to blow off some steam (literally) and rest. It was a good end to the onsen.

At this point, our stomachs started to growl, so we left the onsen and returned to the onsen lockers to redress and enter the common area again. We went through a bunch of stands till we found one that looked (and smelled) delicious! I ordered Melon Soda and Takoyaki / たこ焼き (Octopus Dumplings). It was absolutely wonderful!!! The only draw back to some of the eating locations was that smoking was allowed inside, but this is very common in Japan. My mind was taken off of it by the fun Tiger and Bunny decorations and themed items that were surrounding the area.

(Another dish they were serving inside)

Most games were rather expensive to play, but we did find a scavenger hunt for Tiger and Bunny and proceeded to do that after finishing our meal. We ended up finding all of the locations, gathering all the stamps needed, and turned in our passbooks to earn ourselves Tiger and Bunny bags and fans, which we placed in our (normal locker room) lockers. The last thing we indulged in was walking through the wading area (across rocks that hurt my feet and weren't so nice) and then sat in a pool where little fish ate away the dead skin cells off of our feet! It tickled, but it was so fun! And my feet felt wonderful afterwards! Highly recommend this if you get the chance to go.

As the day was coming to a close, we soon got ready to leave by going to the normal locker rooms and changing into our street clothes. We did our hair and make up again (we had taken it off before) and exited to the lobby where we handed them our key bracelets, which they scanned and rang up for us. We paid and then returned home from a very relaxing day. It was a wonderfully light hearted pleasure and I was so glad that Ikumi was willing to take me for my first onsen trip (you're awesome Ikumi!!). :)

(On the way out near the entrance)

I have been to this onsen several times now and one other. In particular, I feel like if you are visiting Tokyo, this one is convenient, fun, and very family friendly. The onsen itself is pumped out of the earth (it doesn't naturally flow out), but it is enjoyable none the less. The other thing this onsen has going for it is that it is affordable considering everything that you get to do and see. Other onsen can be pretty cheap, but might not pull out a lot of stops. Ones that do go all out tend to be a little overpriced I sometimes feel.

(Me in a Yukata while there)

This onsen was also wonderfully helpful to those who's native language isn't Japanese and it is pretty easy to get by and understand what to do and what is going on with helpful signs showing the way. Sometimes I felt like it was a little too much like a theme park, but it was cute and fun to experience and didn't detract too much from the onsen itself. So if you're looking to experience a piece of old Tokyo and go to an onsen while on vacation, check it out! You can find more information about it here.

Thanks for reading and till next time,