Now who wouldn’t love to soak in an onsen? It’s relaxing, it’s good for you, and in a country with breathtaking landscapes like Japan, oh so beautiful!
However you will need to be naked. And you will need to learn proper onsen etiquette.
But don’t worry too much – onsen etiquette is very straight forward, and you’ll be a black belt in onsen protocol sooner than you can say ahhhhhhhhh….
Here are five rules of onsen etiquette that you should keep in mind when visiting an onsen in Japan:
1. Remove your shoes
Whatever you do, don’t wear your shoes on the tatami flooring in the change rooms. That would be very, very embarrassing.
Instead, take them off at the entrance to the change room, store them on the provided rack, and continue barefoot (socks are ok) into the change room.
In Japan, onsen – like the ones found in the onsen resort town of Hakone, which is close to Mt. Fuji and just 85 mins away from Shinjuku, Tokyo on the Odakyu Railway or an hour by JR shinkansen and Hakone Tozan Railway – always have traditional Japanese floors, which means tatami through and through.
You’ve been warned…
2. Use the correct change room
Even more embarrassing than forgetting to remove your shoes is to actually enter the wrong change room!
To keep things simple, most onsen employ the red curtain = female change room, and blue curtain = male change room policy, such as Dogo Onsen located in Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture on Shikoku island.
This hot spring town has a history of over 3,000 years and is said to be the oldest in Japan.
3. You need to get completely naked
This is the most revealing part of the onsen experience – literally.
No, you can’t leave your t-shirt on. And no, you can’t leave your underwear or swimwear on.
Naked means N-A-K-E-D – no ifs, but butts.
Onsen are nude only (for the most part, as there are some exceptions, like Hakone Kowakien Yunessun hot-springs spa resort, which allows swimwear). So you’ll need to strip down to your bare bones and put away your clothes in the baskets or lockers provided, along with your shyness.
The only thing you can bring with you into the onsen is a small wash cloth; and, of course, your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy this thousand year-old Japanese experience.
4. Shower first before getting in
Before you ease into the therapeutic and sometimes lucky waters of the onsen (e.g., Ichino-yu onsen in the resort town of Kinosaki, just one-hour from either Osaka or Kyoto, reputedly has water that blesses bathers with academic success and good fortune for safety while traveling) make sure you take a shower first.
The little stools, soap, shampoo and shower stations are there to ensure you’re completely clean prior to entering the water.
Just make sure you rinse off properly – soap should never be allowed to pollute the onsen bath.
5. The small towel belongs on your head
As tempting as it may be, your small wash cloth should never be used to cover your private parts while soaking.
In fact, it should never – EVER – enter the onsen water, period.
It belongs on your head, or you can leave it on the side of the bath.
Just don’t forget to take it with you when you’ve feeling sufficiently rejuvenated…
And now you can just relax…
Let all your stress melt away, along with any pain or tension throughout your body…
READ: 24 HOURS IN NOZAWA ONSEN: What to do, see & of course, eat
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