Why I’m Just Crazy about Onsen
I remember the wonderful experience of my first hot springs visit as clearly as though it were yesterday.
I had been to Japan many times on business, but had never been to an onsen. That all changed one winter five years ago when a Japanese friend said to me, “you’re really missing out if you visit Japan without going to a hot spring resort.” Of course I knew about onsen and had heard great things about them, but I’d never had the chance to go to one before. The idea of sharing a bath with strangers had also made me a little hesitant.
My friend was determined that I shouldn’t miss out on a typical Japanese experience, so she made arrangements for us to stay overnight at a well-known hot springs resort near Tokyo. Just an hour from Tokyo by train, the resort nestled in quiet natural surroundings.
Arriving at our inn, a typical ryokan, in late afternoon, we changed into the yukata cotton kimono provided and headed straight for the steaming roten-buro, the open-air bath. I remember thinking that I had never seen such a large and imposing bath before. Nodding briefly to other bathers already in the water, I sank into the bath and immediately felt the warmth seeping into my bones. Americans being used to bathing in rather tepid water, it took a bit of courage on my part to get into water that felt really hot to me, but I quickly got used to the temperature and realized that soaking in a hot bath melts fatigue away.
As I relaxed and felt the tension leave my body, my friend said, “Look up at the sky, Leslie,” and I tilted my head back to take the countless stars twinkling in the night.
That first visit taught that the hot springs experience is pure relaxation, and I’ve been a dedicated onsen-goer ever since.