Onsen

In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water from these geothermally heated springs.

''Onsen'' may be either or . Traditionally, ''onsen'' were located outdoors, although many inns have now built indoor bathing facilities as well. Nowadays, as most households have their baths, the number of traditional public baths has decreased, but the number and popularity of have increased since the end of Second World War. Baths may be either publicly run by a municipality or privately, often connecting to a lodging establishment such as a hotel, ''ryokan'', or '' minshuku''.

The presence of an ''onsen'' is often indicated on signs and maps by the symbol ♨, the kanji (''yu'', meaning "hot water"), or the simpler phonetic hiragana character ゆ (''yu'').

Definition

According to the Japanese , ''onsen'' is defined as "hot water, mineral water, and water vapor or other gas (excluding natural gas of which the principal component is hydrocarbon) gushing from underground". The law states that mineralized hot spring water that feeds an ''onsen'' must be at least originating at a depth of at least , and contain specified amounts of minerals such as sulphur, sodium, iron, or magnesium.Even if it does not meet this definition, if the spring water is suitable for bathing, it is considered a "hot spring" in most cases. However, in that case, there are restrictions on the health benefits that the owner of the spring can claim.

When ''onsen'' water contains distinctive minerals or chemicals, establishments often display what type of water it is, in part because the specific minerals found in the water have been thought to provide health benefits. Types include , , , and .

History

Exactly when humans first began bathing in ''onsen'' in Japan is unknown, but historical records show it has a history of at least about 1,300 years. Many of the earliest records of ''onsen'' bathing document Japanese Emperors or members of the imperial family staying at ''onsen'' for long periods of time. At the time, ''onsen'' were thought to be sacred and to have healing properties. It is now believed those who traveled to ''onsen'' in these early records were seeking cures to disease or other ailments by bathing in the ''onsen'' water. This ancient practice of bathing in ''onsen'' to cure illnesses, often for long periods such as a week, is referred to as ''tōji'' ( 湯治). Some of the oldest ''onsen'' in Japan are considered to be Dogo Onsen in Ehime Prefecture, Shirahama Onsen in Wakayama Prefecture, and Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture.

Until around the Edo period, ''onsen'' had close religious ties to Buddhism with temples often being built near ''onsen'' sources. During the Edo period, however, ''onsen'' began to gain popularity among the general population thanks in part to depictions of the hot springs in ''ukiyo-e''. It is also during this period that the use of ''onsen'' shifted from being primarily for religious and healing reasons to being used for bathing for cleanliness and socializing.

In modern times, traveling to is a popular form of domestic tourism in Japan. During the bubble economy of the 1980s, there was a "''onsen'' boom." Although the number of overnight guests at hot spring resorts has decreased slightly since the boom, travel to such ''onsen'' towns as a relaxing getaway is still popular among Japanese people.

Mixed bathing

Traditionally, men and women bathed together at both ''onsen'' and ''sentō'' communal bathhouses, but gender separation has been enforced at most institutions since the opening of Japan to the West during the Meiji Restoration.

is currently banned in Japanese public baths.厚生労働省「公衆浴場における衛生管理理要領等の改正について〔公衆浴場法〕」(生食発1210第1号)(Retrieved June 3 2024) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/web/t_doc?dataId=00tc5492&dataType=1&pageNo=1"サウナの男女混浴は法律でどうなってる？公衆浴場法・条例を調べてみた"
retrieved June 3 2024 Depending on the prefecture and local ordinances, children seven years old and younger may be exempt from this ban.

Private ''onsen'' called can be found in many locations throughout Japan. These can be reserved and used for mixed bathing.

In Japanese language, means Woman and means Man. The characters and (pronounced yu) stands for Hot water, but also for a Bathing or ''Onsen''. Generally, there is a separation called curtains.

Etiquette

Onsen are a location where considerable offense can be caused if the proper social etiquette is not observed. The general procedure and expected etiquette closely resemble those used at a sento but with some minor adjustments. Onsen are typically, but not always, found within ryokan or hotels and only available to guests, though they may offer certain hours where outsiders may purchase day passes to enter. Standalone onsen open to the public also exist. Onsen are considered more of a special experience than the sento, which is used for common bathing. Due to their integrated location within a hotel, an entry attendant is rare and bathers will usually wear the hotel-provided yukata and indoor slippers to walk from their rooms to the onsen. Towels are provided to guests at the entry, and shower stations and vanities are fully stocked with toiletries and conveniences for bather's use, instead of guests being required to bring their own or purchase such items separately. Guests should not take wet towels or toiletries back with them or hoard the complimentary items. While it is common after a bath in the sento to quickly re-shower before leaving, many onsen bathers skip this second shower to keep the minerals from the hot spring on their skin. Onsen within ryokan or hotels are generally kept open 24 hrs a day, or only closed for a brief daily cleaning period, to allow guests to freely bathe in the middle of the night if the whim takes them. Popular, private, or specialized baths may require reservations or additional fees.

Ensuring cleanliness

As at a ''sentō'', at an ''onsen'', all guests are expected to wash and rinse themselves thoroughly before entering the hot water. Bathing stations are equipped with stools, faucets, rinsing basins, and complimentary toiletries such as soap and shampoo; nearly all onsen also provide removable shower heads for rinsing convenience. Entering the ''onsen'' while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is socially unacceptable.

One's hair should never touch the bath water and should be worn up.

Even though onsen can be a luxury experience and environment, guests are still expected to clean up after themselves by staying tidy and rinsing off their shower area for the next guest.

Swimsuits

Guests are not allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths or showers and must be completely nude.

The only time swimsuits are allowed and required are in specific modern pools which allow both men and women to use them together, but many of these mixed ''onsen'' resemble more of a pool or waterpark than the traditional idea of an ''onsen''.

Towel

''Onsen'' guests generally have a small towel with them to use as a drying cloth, since re-entering the changing area while dripping wet is a faux-pas. The towel can also provide a modicum of modesty when walking between the washing area and the baths by holding it loosely in front of your genitals. Though many TV shows depict characters wearing a towel in the bath, this is a television invention used for actor modesty and wearing towels into the bath is forbidden. It is against the rules to immerse or dip towels in the ''onsen'' bath water, since this is considered unclean. People normally set their towels off to the side of the water when enjoying the baths, or place their folded towels on top of their heads to keep them out of the water.

Tattoos

By 2015, around half (56%) of ''onsen'' operators had banned bathers with tattoos from using their facilities. The original reason for the tattoo ban was to keep out ''yakuza'' and members of other crime gangs who traditionally have elaborate full-body decoration. In 2016, the Japan Tourism Agency urged ''onsen'' operators to allow foreign customers with tattoos to use the ''onsen'' on a conditional basis in order to accommodate the increasing number of foreign tourists. On the other hand, ''onsen'' operators wanted foreign customers to enjoy the ''onsen'', but were concerned that allowing foreign customers with tattoos to use the ''onsen'' would prevent them from keeping ''yakuza'' out of the ''onsen''.

However, tattoo-friendly ''onsen'' do exist. A 2015 study by the Japan National Tourism Organisation found that more than 30% of ''onsen'' operators at hotels and inns across the country will not turn someone with a tattoo away; another 13% said they would grant access to a tattooed guest under certain conditions, such as having the tattoo covered up. Some towns have many tattoo-friendly ''onsen'' that do not require guests to cover them up. Two such towns are Kinosaki Onsen in Hyōgo and Beppu Onsen in Ōita.

With the increase in foreign customers due to growing tourism, some ''onsen'' that previously banned tattoos are loosening their rules to allow guests with small tattoos to enter, provided they cover their tattoos with a patch or sticking plaster.

Benefits

There are various health benefits attributed to bathing in ''onsen''. ''Onsen'' are particularly renowned for their relaxing and therapeutic effects. These effects are due to properties such as the temperature, pressure, and mineral composition of the water.

A 2014 study conducted in Beppu, a city famous for its ''onsen'', found that regular bathing in ''onsen'' has various health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, improving circulation and cardiovascular health, reducing chronic pain and fatigue, and lowering the rate of depression. A survey conducted in Atami, another city famous for its ''onsen'', found that individuals with ''onsen'' in their homes were less likely to take blood pressure medication than those without ''onsen''.

There are various types of ''onsen'' including carbonated springs, iron-containing springs, acidic springs, strong-smelling sulfur springs, among others. Each type of ''onsen'' is believed to have unique benefits. Carbonated springs, for example, are believed to lead to smooth skin. ''Onsen'' facilities often advertise various health and beauty benefits they claim their water to provide.

Water at some ''onsen'' facilities is drinkable. ''Onsen'' water should only be consumed if it is confirmed to be safe to drink by the prefecture. The water should be obtained from a designated drinking source that is separate from the water which is bathed in. The often mineral-rich ''onsen'' water is believed to have benefits such as treating iron-deficiency anemia or constipation.

Risks

Article 18, paragraph 1 of the Japanese Hot Springs Act publishes guidance on contraindications and cautions for bathing in hot springs, and drinking their respective waters. Although millions of Japanese bathe in ''onsen'' every year with few noticeable side effects, there are still potential side effects to ''onsen'' usage, such as aggravating high blood pressure or heart disease.

''Legionella'' bacteria have been found in some ''onsen'' with poor sanitation. For example, 295 people were infected with Legionella and seven died at an ''onsen'' in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2002. Revelations of poor sanitary practices at some ''onsen'' have led to improved regulation by hot-spring communities to maintain their reputation.

There have been reports of infectious disease found in hot bodies of water worldwide, such as various '' Naegleria'' species. While studies have found the presence of ''Naegleria'' in hot spring waters, ''Naegleria fowleri'', responsible for numerous fatal cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis around the world, has not been found to be present in the water at ''onsen''. Nevertheless, fewer than five cases have been seen historically in Japan, although not conclusively linked to ''onsen'' exposure.

Many ''onsen'' display notices reminding anyone with open cuts, sores, or lesions not to bathe. Additionally, in recent years onsen have been increasingly adding chlorine to their waters to prevent infection, although many ''onsen'' purists seek natural, unchlorinated ''onsen'' that do not recycle their water but instead clean the baths daily. These precautions as well as proper ''onsen'' usage (i.e. not placing the head underwater, washing thoroughly before entering the bath) greatly reduce any overall risk to bathers.

Voyeurism is reported at some ''onsen''. In 2016, The Japan Times reported that this was mitigated in some prefectures of Japan where nude mixed bathing is not permitted, and that visitors must wear swimsuits. In 2021, several people were arrested in connection with an organized group accused of taking photos of women in open-air baths.

Bathing methods

In addition to typical and , there are various other methods of experiencing ''onsen'' that can be found at various facilities throughout Japan. Examples include:
* : hot water is released from an elevated position and the pressure of the water has a massaging effect.
* : ''onsen'' steam is released in either a small room or a "steam box" (in which one immerses their body up to their neck) which has an effect similar to a sauna.
* : shallow baths in which one lies down. These can be used for sleeping, but there is a risk of overheating.
* : these are usually separate from main ''onsen'' facilities and are typically free. As only the feet and lower legs are immersed in the ''onsen'' water, users are otherwise fully clothed.
* : an individual lies in or is buried partially in sand which is heated by ''onsen'' water or another source. ''Yukata'' are usually worn in the sand baths and they are mixed-gender.
* : heated stones on which visitors lie down while wearing , or a type of casual Japanese indoor wear. As clothing is worn in ''ganban'yoku,'' they are mixed-gender and located in a separate location from the nude bathing area of an ''onsen'' facility.
Saunas are also sometimes located at ''onsen'' bathing facilities. A relatively cold bath called is often located directly outside a facility's sauna to allow users to quickly cool down. The cycle of entering hot baths, saunas, and cold baths at an ''onsen'' facility is sometimes referred to as and is believed to be refreshing and to have health benefits.

Selected ''onsen''

* Akagi, Gunma
* Akayu, Yamagata
* Arima Onsen, Kobe, Hyōgo
* Asamushi Onsen, Aomori Prefecture
* Aso, Kumamoto, a famous onsen area alongside Mount Aso, an active volcano
* Atami Onsen, Atami, Shizuoka, major onsen resort town near Tokyo
* Awara Onsen, Awara, Fukui Prefecture
* Awazu Onsen, Komatsu, Ishikawa
* Beppu Onsen, Beppu, Ōita Prefecture, famous for its multi-coloured springs
* , Nihonmatsu, Fukushima
* Dōgo Onsen, Ehime Prefecture
* Funaoka Onsen, Kyoto
* , Gero, Gifu, famous for its free open bath on riverbank of Hida River
* Geto Onsen, Iwate Prefecture
* Ginzan Onsen, Obanazawa, Yamagata
* Hakone, Kanagawa, famous onsen resort town near Tokyo
* Hanamaki, Iwate
* , Takayama, Gifu
* , Shizuoka
* Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Prefecture
* Iizaka Onsen, Fukushima
* , Ikaho, Gunma
* Itō, Shizuoka
* Iwaki Yumoto Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture
* Iwamuro, Niigata, famous for onsen since the Edo period
* Jigokudani, Nagano Prefecture
* , Hokkaido
* , Yonago, Tottori
* , Nagano
* , Shizuoka
* , Kaga, Ishikawa
* , Tanabe, Wakayama
* Kindaichi Onsen, Iwate
* Kinosaki, Hyōgo
* Kinugawa Onsen, Tochigi
* Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Prefecture
* , Misasa, Tottori Prefecture
* Nagaragawa Onsen, Gifu, Gifu
* Nanki-Katsuura Onsen, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama
* Nanki-Shirahama Onsen, Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture
* Naoshima, Kagawa Prefecture
* Naruko, Miyagi
* Noboribetsu, Hokkaido
* Nuruyu Onsen, Kumamoto Prefecture
* Nyūtō Onsen, Akita Prefecture
* Obama Onsen, Nagasaki Prefecture, the hottest Japanese hot spring ()
* , Hokkaido
* Ōfuka Onsen, Akita
* Ryujin Onsen, Tanabe, Wakayama, one of Japan's famous three beautifying onsen
* Sabakoyu Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture, the oldest community onsen in Japan
* Sakunami Onsen, Miyagi
* Sawatari, Gunma Prefecture
* , Niigata Prefecture
* Shima Onsen, Gunma Prefecture
* Shimabara, Nagasaki
* , Yamanashi Prefecture
* , Tochigi Prefecture
* Shuzenji Onsen, Shizuoka Prefecture
* , Hokkaido
* Sukayu Onsen, Aomori Prefecture
* , Shizuoka Prefecture
* Suwa, Nagano Prefecture
* Takanoyu Onsen, Akita Prefecture
* Takaragawa, Gunma, one of the largest outdoor mixed baths in Japan
* Takarazuka, Hyōgo
* Tara, Saga
* Tōyako, Hokkaidō
* , Niigata - famous for its free open mixed onsen
* Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture
* , Niigata Prefecture
* , Kanagawa
* Unazuki Onsen, Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture
* Wakura Onsen, Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture
* Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa
* Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa
* , Okayama Prefecture, one of the largest mixed baths at the foot of Yubara dam
* , Nagano Prefecture
* Yufuin, Ōita Prefecture
* Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture
* Yumura Onsen, ( Shin'onsen, Hyōgo)
* Yunogo Onsen, Okayama Prefecture
* Yunokawa Onsen, Hokkaido
* Yunomine Onsen, Tanabe, Wakayama, site of the UNESCO World Heritage Tsuboyu bath
* Yuzawa, Niigata
* Zaō Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture

See also

* Ashiyu
* Balneotherapy
* Furo
* List of hot springs in Japan
* Public bathing
* Sauna
* Taiwanese hot springs
* Three Ancient Springs
* Victorian Turkish baths
* Onsen portal at the Japanese Wikipedia

Notes

References

Further reading

* Hotta, Anne, and Yoko Ishiguro. ''A Guide to Japanese Hot Springs''. New York: Kodansha America, 1986. .
* Fujinami, Kōichi. ''Hot Springs in Japan''. Tokyo: Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways; Maruzen Company, Ltd., 1936.
* Neff, Robert. ''Japan's Hidden Hot Springs''. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995. .
* Seki, Akihiko, and Elizabeth Heilman Brooke. ''The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen''. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2005. . Reprinted as ''Ryokan: Japan's Finest Spas and Inns'', 2007. .

External links

Onsen Tipster
A database of genuine onsen in Japan

Sento Guide
Guide to public baths in Japan

OnsenJapan.net
Interactive Google map with easy-to-read icons, pictures, and reviews

Secret Onsen
a database with more than 125 onsen all around Japan


A mountain onsen guide of the Japan Alps

Japanbased Onsen guide
A guide on how to onsen in Japan

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Bathing in Japan

Public baths in Japan
Articles containing video clips