Boiling myself, one bath at a time

Is it really almost officially Fall already? Having just glanced at my calendar, I was practically dumbfounded to discover that next week is the autumnal equinox. I really shouldn’t be surprised – after all, I’ve been aware of the date through test application deadlines, siblings’ birthdays and the like, but somehow it still seems surreal. The weather might have something to do with that: when it’s not pouring buckets thanks to the latest typhoon remnant to make a glancing blow on Japan, it’s still unseasonably hot. It still feel like it’s mid-summer, even if it’s after Labor Day back home… and even if it’s cooler here than it was the same time last year.

But with mid-September comes two holidays that I get to celebrate – or at least, get the day off. These are Respect-for-the-Aged Day (the third Monday of September), and the Equinox itself (September 23). And really, who can argue with a paid day off from work? Actually, these vacation days are a reminder that before long it will be winter, and with it, I should really use my New Year’s vacation time this December to go somewhere interesting. I already have my eye on a few places, and they all have one thing in common.

As I’ve mentioned previously, Japan is a volcanic island chain on the Pacific Ring of Fire. This means, among other things, that it experiences fairly major earthquakes relatively often. It also has its share of volcanoes, both extinct and not-so-much. But the third implication of all this seismic and volcanic activity, I heartily approve of: the hot springs, or onsen. From the earliest Japanese records over 1500 years ago, people here were already using them to bathe with regularity, and there were numerous locations with reputations for their therapeutic qualities, doing brisk business no matter what the state of politics in the land might be. (Amusingly, European traders during the Renaissance seemed to look down on the fact that Japanese people bathed daily. I can only imagine that Europe during this time was not a very pleasant-smelling place.)

Now, I’ve always been one for a hot bath, but I admit that I was slow to catch on to the benefits of this lifestyle, for one particular reason: being naked in public. Japanese hot springs are communal baths, which means you’re sharing it with people you may or may not know. This was a problem, because I am an American, and Americans in general tend to be quite squeamish about nudity (witness, for example, the various controversies over “wardrobe malfunctions”, and the covering-up of statues’ breasts in the US Capitol at various times). I’m over that now, and I’m glad, because a hot-spring bath is one of the most sublimely relaxing experiences you can have, and the perfect remedy to a hectic lifestyle.

The quintessential hot spring bath in Japan is one taken at a ryokan (traditional inn). These traditional inns are usually located out in the country, in a scenic spot, and conveniently right on top of a source of geothermal energy. Typically, you arrive at the inn at mid-afternoon, where you are shown to your room. The room is decorated in traditional style, with woven-grass tatami mats and futons to sleep on (which are laid out for you by the staff at bedtime). You change into a special bathrobe (yukata), which you can (and are expected to) walk around the building and surrounding area in. And then you go take a bath. Really, the activities at a ryokan, when they don’t involve gorging yourself on a multi-course kaiseki banquet of regional specialties (included in the room fee), is to spend your time in the bath. Like I said: pure relaxation.

The kind of hot-spring baths I really like are rotenburo, or outdoor baths. While simply having a tub out-of-doors certainly qualifies, the best places actually use thermal pools (or basins sculpted to look like such), perfectly blending in with the surrounding landscape. Here, you can sit in the bath and listen to the wind rustle through the trees, admire the view, and really commune with nature. It’s especially fun to luxuriate in one of these baths in winter, when you can have a cool breeze (or maybe even some snowfall) as the perfect counterpoint to the 100+ Fahrenheit waters. Indoor baths are fine too, of course: the kind made from fragrant wood, though difficult to maintain, are traditional and great for soaking in. I just like the outdoor ones better.

Of course, for those who don’t have the time (or the money) to spend at one of these fantastic locations, there’s always the local sento (public bath). Back before individual Japanese residences had their own baths, people in a given community would bathe together at the public baths, catching up with each other and exchanging gossip over a hot soak. The name implies that you can go to one of these places for a single sen (1/100 of a yen… which became only slightly worthless at the end of the War), and even today, they’re usually only a couple hundred yen, which is still a fair bargain. I don’t mind going to these places, but as you might guess from the somewhat outmoded lifestyle they represent, most of truly local places are half a century old (or more) and showing their age, while their clientele seems to almost exclusively consist of men in their 70s and older (the same age bracket that seems to always try and strike up conversations with me whenever I’m trying to bathe in peace). The places that are usurping their role in the domain of “ordinary” public baths are the “Super sento”, destinations that are equal parts themed baths and water park. The main one I’ve been to in these parts is Spa World in Osaka, which combines two different themed baths (“Europe” and “Asia”, which switch between men and women each month), along with a standard pool area on the roof, with slides, hot tubs, and the like. The “theme park” aesthetic kind of takes away from the authentic charm of the older public baths, but it isn’t quite as uncomfortable as being the odd one out in a room full of regulars. Plus, all the different bathing areas (modeled after various countries in Europe and Asia) are something I can appreciate, so it’s not all bad.

So, if you should ever find yourself in Japan, I heartily recommend that you, too, try going for a dip in an onsen. Think of it not as an indulgence so much as a cultural experience with over a thousand years of history. Just be sure to wash yourself off before you get in the tub, because they don’t take kindly to dirtying up the bathwater with soap. The bath is solely for soaking; showers are located nearby to wash with. It’s something I always make sure to remind my friends about if they come with me, because if they made for the tub without washing, I’d have to stop them bodily, and that would get really awkward.