You exit the changing room, walk out along the rock path and come to your destination, a steaming pool of naturally heated water. You cleanse yourself, and then slip into the 100° F pool. A babbling stream runs past, and behind you is the trickle of the hot water entering via a small waterfall. Surrounding you is a border of rocks, which were carried down from the surrounding mountains, each chosen for its unique shape and color. 

Along with the smell of sulfur emanating from the spring, you can smell nature all around; the smell of green, the smell of the Japanese mountains. Birds call out all around…. relaxation. Feel the tension leave your body.  This is a Japanese onsen or natural hot spring. For a foreign visitor, this is perhaps one of the most memorable cultural experiences to be had in Japan, and one that will most certainly spoil you. There is no going back to a shower after experiencing the heat and healing of an onsen.

Japan is a very geologically active country, evidenced by its many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The archipelago lies on one of the more active portions of the notorious Ring of Fire. Here the Pacific Plate and the Philippine Plate are subducted under the Asian Plate. The resulting friction and fracturing give birth to Japan’s many volcanoes, and likewise its hot springs. Japan’s symbol to the world, Mt. Fuji, was born from such activity, and although technically dormant, seems to be on the road to such activity once again. Water seeping into the many faults and fissures of this volcanic setting comes back up as superheated water (often 100-plus degrees F).  There are thousands of such exit points in Japan where one can soak in developed or undeveloped pools.

These springs come in many different varieties. Some are clear; others can be milky-white, brownish, or even blackish, depending on the minerals they contain. They are most often located in the most scenically beautiful areas as well. One may bathe under Mt. Fuji, or along the craggy coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido. Bathe with monkeys in Nagano, or in the seaside pools at low tide on the southern island of Yakushima. If one is lucky, there will be an outdoor pool, or rotemburo, in addition to the indoor pool. This is where hot springing and a nature walk come together into a truly fulfilling experience. Even better, put that same outdoor pool next to a river or waterfalls, and you are in heaven. Each type of onsen provides its own unique experience. You cannot go wrong.

The onsen culture is well developed in Japan. Most hot springs are privately run. The best are those bathing facilities that are complimented by beautiful traditional structures.  One may spend a whole day relaxing at some of the more developed spas. Many provide lodging as well.  For those who wish not to stay at one particular onsen, most offer the one-day visit, or higaeri option. The price typically ranges from 300 to 1,000 yen ($3-9 U.S.). It is important to note that onsen refers to a natural onsen, that is one that’s source is a volcanically related spring. There are also many sentou, or unnatural source public bathhouses, in Japan, where you can experience the hot spring, but without the sulfur smell. They can be equally enjoyable.

Beyond Merely Clean

In addition to the obvious relaxation and cleanliness reasons for going to an onsen, the Japanese also go to heal. Of course, relaxation is essential for health and healing, as most western countries are now becoming aware. However, most onsen also claim to treat and relieve a multitude of specific ailments; everything from arthritis to diabetes. You name it, and there is probably a hot spring in Japan to treat it. These various healing properties are commonly attributed to the minerals dissolved in the water. Most onsen list these treated ailments in their brochures.

For you backpackers out there, there are also hot springs for you in Japan.  When people think of Japan, they usually do not think about beautiful nature. Granted, Japan has half the population of the United States, in a landmass the size of California.  However, the population only lives on about 15 percent of that land, leaving many rugged and scenically spectacular places left to be experienced.  My favorite onsen are found in these locales.  One might be located lakeside, another at 2,000 meters in the crater of a long extinct volcano. They often take at least a few hours hiking to get to, but are well worth it. Your body thanks you even more after a bit of exercise, and moreover, you are rewarded with a magnificent view and the silence of the backcountry environment.

Lastly, if you come to Japan, and if and when you choose to bathe at an onsen, you must do it right. The bathing culture is different at hot springs in Japan than at many other springs around the world. The spring may look much like a small pool or Jacuzzi back home, but the customs for entering it are very different, as most foreigners discover this the hard way. 

The Japanese use the onsen often as their shower or bath. One goes there instead of using his bath at home. Therefore, it is important to wash oneself before getting into the communal pool. There are usually washing stations where you sit and wash. If not, at a natural outdoor pool for example, you simply use one of the buckets provided to scoop out water from the pool and rinse yourself thoroughly before stepping in. 

As it is thought of as a bath, clothes are not worn. At public onsen men and women often have separate baths (with the exception of some of those outdoor and backpacker springs where, recently, women often wear a bathing suit or T-shirt). One normally enters the onsen with a small white towel. This is used for washing as well as for covering oneself when walking from pool to pool. Men must have created this towel, as it does not sufficiently cover a woman when in a coed pool, thus the bathing suits.  

Finally, Japanese onsen are notoriously hot!  Most first-timers may have a difficult time even getting into the seemingly scalding water. That first dip into a hot pool is always the hardest. It is in these “scalding” pools that you might wonder when the relaxation part of the onsen experience begins. Thus, you may want to try a cooler part of the pool, or another pool entirely (which may be no further than a few meters away, as most onsen have several).

All of this can be daunting and outright intimidating for someone not used to taking a bath with several others at the same time. But you get used to it and learn to enjoy the experience. It is not, of course, for everyone. In my six-plus years in Japan, the onsen has remained one of my favorite pastimes here. When I return to my home country, I will truly miss the warmth and relaxation provided by the onsen. I will miss the role it plays in my daily life here.

Outdoor Japan

Randy Biddle is a resident of Nagano, Japan, where he presently teaches English. When not teaching, he works and volunteers as a guide in both the U.S. (in Alaska and the Southwest), as well as in Japan.  He also writes a monthly outdoor column, Backroads and Backcountry, for www.outdoorjapan.com, a comprehensive site dealing with the great Japanese outdoors.