There are many things in Japan that are vastly different from
America. None more so than bathing, in my
opinion.
As an American, I was raised with the notion that nakedness
is private. Our bodies are our own to
see and no one else really should.
Family is fine, but outsiders are not allowed. This unwritten rule is lifted for
children. They are innocent and do not
realize what this act could signify to others.
As we grow older our nakedness becomes more and more of a private
affair. Until one day you don’t realize
it, but you are uncomfortable changing in front of others.
Middle school and high school students realize this in the changing
rooms. You don’t feel right when you
strip down to change your clothes. Those
with self-confidence overcome this, they don’t hide in the corners or the
stalls. Those who have less confidence
hide their nakedness from view.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t care if others saw me or not. Just as long as they didn’t stare I didn’t
have a problem.
Even I am wary in the changing rooms for the Onsen.
Before we get to that, let’s clear up what an Onsen is. It is a traditional Japanese bath. You wash yourself with a mix of the use of a
bucket and a spray nozzle. You wash your
hair, face, and body before you even think about getting in the large singular
or series of pools of water.
I have had three experiences with true Japanese Onsens, and
all have varied. This is just a really
simple guide on how to use them, don’t be surprised if you ever visit and Onsen
and the setup is nothing like I have described.
The process is still the same you see.
The latest Onsen I have been to was a completely indoor
one. The women and men were separated by
a floor. I, of course, followed my host
mom and the three other Rotarian women.
We had changed into the traditional yukata and hakama set provided for
us by the hotel. They also provide a single
towel to use to dry off when you are done bathing. TAKE THIS WITH YOU!
A really simply guide to wearing a yukata. You fold it with YOUR right side tucked under
the left side. Never, ever, set the left
right over the left side when you close it.
It means you are dead, going to be, or have been dead for a while. Once crossed correctly, you tie the long
strip of fabric around your waist in any way you feel comfortable. I personally liked tying it on my hip and
them moving it so the bow rested on my back.
The hakama is super simple. Slip
it on and tie the two string on the front to keep them closed.
We entered through a door with a red half curtain hanging
over the front, the symbol for women written in white on it. Beyond this was the second door to keep the
steam and heat in the room. Past the
door was the main changing room.
This is where you strip down. I stored my clothing, undergarments and all,
in a wicker basket. You do not wrap the
big towel around you no matter how badly you want to. Even I feel bare under the bright lights of the changing room, nothing separating you from the view of others. You are very much naked, as naked as they are. They can see every inch just as you can. This wasn't the quick change of main outer clothing like in school, no this was very, very, different.
It is perfectly acceptable to use the smaller washcloth/towel
to cover your front side. I found mine
on a self just across from the small changing section in front of the shelving
units.
I walked, quickly mind you, through the sliding doors and
found the closest corner to hide in. I
can’t see a thing without my glasses, but just because I can’t see you doesn’t
mean you can’t see me. My Rotarians had changed
before me so they had a basic area staked out.
The Onsen was pretty empty too.
I sat down on a small stool.
The shampoo was provided, as was the conditioner, and body soap. I used the spray head, adjusting the water
temperature with it facing away from me just to make sure I didn’t burn or
freeze myself, to wet myself down. My
shampoo was a push pump kind. I lathered
myself up, soaped up my body, rinsed, conditioned, and then washed my
face. All with products provided by the
Onsen. These are usually really nice,
expensive, and good for your body. Every Onsen I have been to had these.
Once all cleaned and feeling pretty good, I got up and tied
my hair back and slipped into the big main pool that was the center of the
room. There was a fountain in the very
center of the pool. I sat under that to
massage my shoulders after finally getting used to the scalding water. It’s hot.
Hot enough to make the air steamy enough that it didn’t
matter that I couldn’t see.
I used the small towel to cover my top, the water went to
just about my collarbone level, and that’s with me sitting on the bottom of the
pool away from the edges.
It’s hot. It’s
soothing. It’s quiet. It’s cleansing. It’s peace bottled in steam and unfamiliar
company.
I actually enjoyed it.
I let myself float away from the others a lot, just thinking and letting
my body do its own thing in the hot water.
I listened to my blood pulse in my ears, just the sound of
splashing water from the fountain the only thing really making any noise. There’s a tangible peace in the air. It’s like you are waiting for something
beautiful to happen. It’s just in your
reach but the quiet, the utter soothing heat of the water, and the scrubbed
pores of your skin all keep you content with the now.
I think as I float, as I sink, as I sit on the edge and in
the deep. I think of how I've gotten
here, of where I will go. Of what I will
eat in the next five minutes and my last meal at home. I think of everything and nothing, eventually
my mind empties till all I think about is the expansion and contraction of my
chest and how the water ripples around my toes and fingers.
There is peace in being bare around others who don’t
honestly know you and you have no idea who they really are. Everyone thinks, quiet and serene. Everyone minds their own business and leaves
you to yours. Sure if you have friends
with you, you can talk, you can gossip, you can really do whatever you
want. I personally like the quiet of it
all.
The steam that fills my lungs till all I breathe is cleansed
air. The water that surrounds me until I
can’t tell where I end and it begins.
The gentle rush of water that replaced the sound of my own heartbeat.
I thought about my “On Bits and Pieces” blog update while
floating in the water. That’s a whole
other update, too long and on a too different of a topic for me to even stick a
toe into it here. Let’s just say it’s
interesting to say the least.
Once I was thoroughly pieced back to mentally and
physically, filtering back into my body from the inner placed of my mind, I got
out of the water, went back through those sliding doors, and scurried into my
corner so I could slip my yukata back on properly and towel off.
You are now able to use that bigger towel to wipe yourself
off.
Now that you are dry you go over to the counter system to
explore the goodies there.
Mine have had moisture creams, face cleansers, and collagen supplements. Expensive stuff all for your free use! It’s a pretty sweet deal. I like the face creams, so expensive (they had
the prices written on them) but they made my skin feel so fresh. Like someone had rubbed mint over it.
You can brush your hair, get something to drink, sit in a
massage chair, stand on a foot press, take your wait, and so much more. All of these were options at the last one.
I personally cleaned my face, dried out my hair, and sat
sipping tea while the Rotarians gossiped.
From what I picked up my host mom was telling the others what it is like
to have an American in the house. I
caught what she said she was feeding me, my dislike of spicy food, and my love
of miso and matcha. Anything beyond that
was still too hard for me to understand.
She talks very formal Japanese with a strong accent. I’m lucky I got as much as I did.
After all this we go back to the room. The rest of the night passed in a heat hazed blur. A full stomach, warm body, and a soft futon were all it took to send me off to a heavy rest.
See You Soon
Mata chikaiuchini
また近いうちに
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