3rd of May 2008, Saturday
Nagasaki, Japan
Nagasaki, Japan
I was obsessed with the thought of wallowing in an "onsen", probably due to many onsens featured in my favorite animes and manga.
An onsen means hot springs in the Japanese language. The term though usually describes the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. Onsen were traditionally used as public bathing places, and its still quite prevalent in Japan.
Baths may be either public run by a municipality or could be private, often run as part of a hotel, ryokan or B&B - hmm....I just remembered I had to pay bath taxes at a ryokan in Nara.
Onsen are a central feature of Japanese tourism often found out in the countryside. The natives talk of the "naked communion" due to the onsen's atmosphere - breaking down barriers and getting to know people in the relaxed homey atmosphere of an onsen inn. (Initially, I admit was a bit dubious as to how I could be relaxed without a stitch on, marching around the baths with only a hand towel perched on top of my head, but after this experience, I must say there's truth in it hehehe!)
Well, of course you go naked, honey!
Joy and Benjie made one of my fondest wishes come true by arranging a trip to a natural onsen at Iojima Island, and together with some of their friends we gamely trooped to this resort.
Some of them were old hands, like Erika who shed clothes, went to wash and soak without batting an eyelash or even flapping a towel. There are separate baths for men and women, and we women stayed longer on our end....as Erika, Rose, Benjie, Tey, Juliet and the other female children tried out one bath after another. For the men like Joy, Darwin and Edmund and their respective sons...well, some hilarity did happen with the young ones being reluctant to bare it all, leading one father to chase his son outside before remembering belatedly that he was in the buff..hehehe...
It wasn't that expensive actually. With 1000 Yen, which includes the round trip fare, as well as for wallowing in the onsen (you can drown in unlimited supplies of shampoo, body shampoo and rinse), it was well worth it. If I had known it would feel that good after soaking, I'd have asked us to stay overnight if we had gone there on Friday...oh well, at least I have experienced going "butt-nekked" in an onsen.
Pictures below show our going together to the island, first having a picnic before venturing into the bowels of the spa and going commando.
- May 23, '08 11:52 PM
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chitoirigo wrote on May 27, '08
Meow Cat. Where are the naked photos? Bitin naman! Hanggang footbath lang?
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
chitoirigo said
Meow Cat. Where are the naked photos? Bitin naman! Hanggang footbath lang?
e kaya nga 1 of 2 tong album...
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hugzone wrote on May 28, '08
Oo nga. Nasaan ang 2 of 2? : ) I think I will try this when I revisit Japan.
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
hugzone said
Oo nga. Nasaan ang 2 of 2? : ) I think I will try this when I revisit Japan.
you should never pass up the chance for an onsen....wag yong public baths lang in the middle of a city, the atmosphere and setting of a natural onsen is so much better..
thats why I was really harping about it, because even if I would not be able to return to Japan, at least I tried an onsen na.....one thing I did not try though was the eating of blowfish...urk!
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
ah...some ryokans like the one I tried in Nara also has public baths..(pictures later) but its not like this, it is more of a common big bathtub...I'm sure the more expensive ones have either private baths or maybe natural ones but the Japanese way really is shared baths...
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hugzone wrote on May 28, '08
cuh888 said
one thing I did not try though was the eating of blowfish...urk!
Sarap yon. Pati whale sashimi.
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chitoirigo wrote on May 28, '08
cuh888 said
one thing I did not try though was the eating of blowfish...urk!
I think the Japanese way (of food preparation, of eating, etc.) is more about the ritual or the process (which they have elevated to the level of art) one goes through rather than the food or taste itself.
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
chitoirigo said
is more about the ritual or the process (which they have elevated to the level of art) one goes through rather than the food or taste itself.
hmm...luckily though, the end result or food itself is also quite good...while I prefer both the preparation and the taste to be paramount, if I were to choose, e don na ako sa food mismo hehehe
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oselle wrote on May 28, '08
wow, ganda ng smile mo sister :)
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
sa tshirt? or ako? siguro anticipation na to...hehhe..imagine kung mixed baths pa....HLH!
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chitoirigo wrote on May 28, '08, edited on May 28, '08
cuh888 said
..imagine kung mixed baths pa....HLH!
Meow Cat. Mukha nga talagang magi-imagine na lang kami...hay naku...
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cuh888 wrote on May 28, '08
chitoirigo said
Meow Cat. Mukha nga talagang magi-imagine na lang kami...hay naku...
mag-open kaya tayo dito sa Pinas? *thinking pose*