Following is another old entry from my former website, written during my first, year-long stay in Japan:
Monday, February 24, 2003: Relaxation, Japanese-style…
Last Monday I had a Japanese-style relaxation experience. I was invited for dinner to a student’s house along with a couple of fellow-teachers. We got there at around 11:30 am and didn’t leave until after 4. So if you ever get invited to a Japanese person’s house for a meal, go hungry, and be prepared to be sitting at the table, eating and chatting, for a good long while. I guess this is a sign of the Japanese being a very hospitable people as well as their abilty to relax.
Today I had the ultimate Japanese relaxation experience: the Onsen. Onsens are hot spring bath houses, with natural spring water that is heated by volcanic activity beneath the earth. Aparently the water is full of minerals and things that are very good for you as well. The custom is to bathe in the nude, with men and women in separate rooms of course (though I have heard there are exceptions).
I had heard of these onsens before, but today was my first visit to one. The real question is: Why did I wait so long? It was great. I highly recommend it to anyone who may plan to visit Japan, as long as you don’t mind being naked in front of strangers. It is very relaxing, and many of these onsens also have places where you can eat, sleep or get a massage. I was so relaxed after spending some time at the onsen today that I just wanted to come home and have a nap; so I did.
Like I said, Japanese people know how to work hard, but – wow – they really know how to relax as well!
UPDATE (March 1): It has been brought to my attention that the public bath we went to that day was probably not an actual onsen. Onsens, like I said, are natural hot springs. In the area of Japan I am living in, bath houses of the onsen variety are pretty rare. So it was artificially heated most likely. The Japanese word for “bathroom” is “ofuro”. Perhaps that would be more appropriate in this case.