First Public Bath Experience!
Sooooo, I had my first public bath experience and I just had to share.
So most people should know about Hot Springs and Public Baths in Japan and just how common they are in the culture.
Though there are less people who know the difference between the two.
Hot Spring or – ‘Onsen’ is at an onsen spot, where the natural water from the springs, including any minerals they contain being used to soak in. These are usually located in more rural areas, often close to active volcanoes. Each spring can contain different minerals, that are said to ‘heal’ in different ways.
Public Baths or – ‘Sento’ can be anywhere, and are often found in cities. They are made by adding water heaters. These however have been on the decline for years, prompting operators to open ‘Super sento’ and have added in extra facilities like, saunas, open-air baths and Jacuzzi. These sentos also come at a lower cost to visit, as opposed to onsens which are far more expensive as you can stay at onsen overnight for the full experience.
The hotel I’m in has a public bath on the first floor, which is divided into male and female (some sento are unisex). You have to take off your shoes before you go in and put them in a rack. There is also a coin laundry just as you enter. There’s a few vending machines selling drinks and a massage chair that you can pay for. As I said the genders are separate and the women’s room has a lock on the door, where the code changes daily. This is something that I noticed is not on the men’s.
When you first enter the room you are met with small lockers for your valuables, there’s a toilet around the corner and a single washing machine and dryer. Around the other corner is the place for you to put your clothes, bag, whatever you have. Adjacent to this is a mirror where you are supplied with hair dryers, lotions, hair treatment, brushes, pretty much anything you want.
They even had a lotion that is supposed to ease your sore joints.
This room is also where you are meant to get undressed and leave all your clothes with your bag. I believe some provide towels for free or for a small fee which is usually about 200yen. After you’ve undressed you can walk through a sliding door and are met with little stools and mirrors. This is where you go before getting into the bath. You’re supposed to sit down on the stool and wash yourself with the soaps, shampoo/conditioner and face wash.
They even had a file to get all your dry, scaly bits off.
After you wash yourself you’re then free to get in the bath.
So like I said this was my first experience doing anything like this, and it made it so much easier when no one else came in. I suppose this isn’t the best thing to happen if I want to go to an onsen where there is bound to be other people, but for my first time it was just relaxing to enjoy it myself and see what they have there.
I think I was by myself because the hotel I’m in is housing more business men than women, so they can all bath together and I get the bath all to myself.
The nice 40 degree bath!
So once you’re done relaxing you pretty much just jump out (not literally) and go back into the room where you left your clothes. You dry yourself off, use whatever lotions and such that you want and then get dressed and head out.
Simple.
Definitely an experience I would do again. I can see why people get so addicted to it. I’ll probably miss bathing with other people when I come home.
Ha!
Oh and I finally found what I have been looking for.. SCALES! Apparently I’ve lost 4kg since being here.. Annnnd I’m not sure how, haha.
Also I am aware that you’re not supposed to have phones in these kinds of places, but I was by myself, so I figured it was fine.
UPDATE!
I ended up going back down later that night, around 9ish, just because it was my last night and why not. And as I was relaxing in the bah two other girls came in. Not as awkward as I thought it was going to be, but i soon left because i'd already soaked for awhile.
I guess now I can say that I've bathed naked with random women. haha
Until next time,
ごきげんよう!