It was a cold February day in northern Japan, and when I took off my clothes, snow was piled high outside the hot spring locker room window.
Nervously, I stepped into the steam rising from the next room and made my way to the bathroom. This was no private soak. I was surrounded by other naked people, but no one seemed to mind.
Growing up in England, bathing naked with strangers was something I had never experienced before, or even imagined experiencing. However, in Japan it has become part of everyday life.
I traveled from Tokyo to Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, by Shinkansen. Outside the window, snowy mountains and small farming villages could be seen.
Traveling solo on a budget, I booked a room above a cafe run by a warm-hearted woman in her 60s named Michiko. One evening, as we were talking over some of her home-cooked food, she asked me a question. “Would you like to go to a hot spring?”
I was overcome with a jolt of fear and excitement. I had heard about hot springs, seen them in anime, and read about them in travel guides, but visiting one for the first time made me nervous for one reason. That means it was nude.
Deeply rooted in mythology, hot springs are baths filled with mineral-rich water heated by geothermal heat. They have long been a part of Japanese culture, and are mentioned as far back as the 8th century in the Kojiki, one of Japan’s oldest texts.
Once a sacred place for purification rituals and the upper echelons of society, hot springs transformed from semi-religious medical destinations to social gathering places during the Edo period (1603-1868). Similar to Roman baths.
Today, there are countless hot springs scattered across Japan, from local cities to large exclusive resorts, and according to the Ministry of the Environment, there are more than 3,000 hot springs, each filled with hot spring water. Operators must follow strict laws. Water temperature is typically between 93 and 107 F (34 to 42 degrees Celsius) and should not fall below 77 F.
♨ Most hot spring resorts marked with this symbol have indoor baths (indoors) and open-air baths (outdoors). It is divided into two sides, one for men and one for women. Bathers can soak alone or gather with friends and family to relax in the mineral-rich waters. This water is known to relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation, and support skin health.
But if you don’t know how to take the first step, international visitors, like me, can feel a little at risk.
“It was a little embarrassing at first, because you’re not only undressing in front of your friends, but also in front of strangers,” says bathhouse expert Stephanie Krohin. Kurohin, who is originally from France, quickly realized that she was the only one thinking about nudity.
“Everyone else was just washing, chatting, soaking, so I was relaxing,” she recalls.
She fell in love several years later when she visited a type of public bath called a sento with a friend from college.
“I discovered a world I never knew existed,” she says. “A public bath may be the only place where you can truly forget about your body’s anxiety.”
Travelers often confuse hot springs with public baths, and there’s a good reason for this. Both involve getting naked and soaking in warm water. Unlike hot springs, public baths are not naturally heated. Found mainly in urban areas, they once provided a bathing area for local residents who lacked toilets.
At the time of Kurohin’s first visit, there was little information about the bathhouse in foreign languages. However, through her work with the Sento Association, she has contributed to opening public baths to tourists and residents from overseas.
Whether it’s a hot spring or a public bath, my advice to anyone going to a public bath for the first time is to enjoy it.
“It’s normal to be hesitant at first, I was too!” she says. “No one is watching you or criticizing you. Everyone is focused on their own moment.”
While newcomers to hot springs may think that they can stand out and get attention at their local hot springs, the reality is the opposite, Kurohin says.
“Every body has its flaws, and this is the only place I know where no one cares,” she says.
Her advice for anyone nervous about taking a bath for the first time is to treat it like a cultural experience, not just a bath. After a few minutes, you’ll quickly forget about the discomfort of being naked in public.
“You may even come away with a sense of freedom and acceptance, which is rare in a world so obsessed with our appearance,” she added.
I feel the same way about Hoshino Resorts. Since opening in 1914 as Hoshino Onsen Ryokan, a small family-run inn known as a traditional Japanese inn in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, the company has grown and now operates lodging properties throughout Japan and Asia.
“Our first advice to Western tourists visiting Japan who are nervous about going to a public bath for the first time or who don’t know the etiquette is, “Don’t worry!”” says resort representative Chanel Kai.
“In fact, Japanese people don’t observe or notice other people’s bodies in public baths. Here, it’s just part of daily life.” As soon as they soak in the hot springs, they enter a world of their own, she says.
“There’s no need to be so self-conscious.”
Aside from being self-conscious about nudity, rules for hot springs and public baths can also make foreign travelers nervous.
On my own first hot spring trip with Michiko, we packed up a bag of towels and toiletries and drove along snow-covered roads to a local hot spring on the outskirts of Hakodate that glowed in the dark and steam rose from the roof.
The entrance was crowded with local families, some men lying on tatami mats watching comedies on TV, others waiting for friends while drinking from vending machines. Everything was in Japanese. Thankfully, we had kind hosts, but a little research before your first trip should ease some of your fears.
One commonly known rule is simple. That is, don’t get a tattoo.
“Historically, this has to do with the association (of tattoos) with organized crime,” Kai said. Hot spring guests with tattoos often have no choice but to cover up the ink with sleeves or bandages.
No-tattoo rules may be common in hot springs, but the future of tattooed bathers is changing. In June, Hoshino Resorts made a major change to its policy of “strive to respect diverse cultures” and allowed tattoos to be brought in. Other hot springs are doing similar things.
On the other hand, Kurohin says that in many public baths, bathers with ink can enter the bath without any problem.
Manners are not only a matter of ink, but also general manners when using public baths and hot springs.
“It’s important to be considerate of others when using common areas,” says Kai. “This includes keeping common areas clean, cleaning up fallen hair, maintaining a quiet atmosphere, and refraining from swimming in the bath.”
It’s important to understand the general rules, such as being aware of other bathers, not splashing, and not talking loudly. But before you can actually step foot in it, there’s a whole process involved.
If you are unsure or there are no signs in English, just follow the flow. “It’s very intuitive,” explains Crohin, who shares a step-by-step guide.
Take off your shoes at the entrance and put them in the locker.
Pay at the counter. (Sauna is an extra charge)
Enter the changing room, completely remove your clothes, and store your clothes.
Bring a small towel with you to the bathroom.
Wash your body thoroughly while sitting at the shower station.
Wash off all soap before taking a bath.
Never put towels in the bathroom.
Long hair should be tied up.
If you use a sauna, rinse again before entering the water.
Dry yourself before returning to the changing room. Also, most public baths provide amenities such as shampoo and soap, as well as rental towels, so you don’t have to worry about going empty-handed.
“Most importantly, don’t be afraid to chat. People are friendly, even if it’s just basic Japanese or gestures,” Kurohin urges.
This is exactly what I discovered.
Michiko-san helped us pay the bathing fee of about 500 yen, or about $3, at the entrance. I left my shoes in a locker and changed into slippers. Then I passed through the red curtain with the word “Women” written on it and entered the changing room.
I undressed and gingerly clutched a small towel around my body. Once inside the bathhouse, the women sat on low plastic chairs in front of the mirror, taking a shower, washing their hair, and cleaning their ears. I did the same, washed my hair and body, and looked around at my neighbors to make sure I was washing correctly. Of course, I also wondered if people were looking at me.
After that, we headed to the hot spring pool. Under a freezing night sky with falling snowflakes, we sat with a group of women and small children, soaking in the water and talking about life, our problems, and our hopes.
The calm atmosphere left a lasting impression on me. When I travel around Japan, I always go to hot springs.
There was really nothing to worry about.
