Your first visit to a hot springs resort inn (onsen-ryokan) for bathing may initially evoke a similar feeling to your first visit during schooling years to the locker room of the school gymnasium…you are in a strange new environment, there are customs with which you may not be familiar, and you are about to take your clothes off with folks who you may not know very well, if at all! 

Once you understand the routine of preparing for and taking an onsen bath, however, you are most likely going to find it to be a truly relaxing experience that you will want to partake in time and again.

Here is a nice video  (Yukuro Onsen in Niseko Japan)that shows the basics of taking an onsen bath.

Here is a superb video  (Staying in a Ryokan)that shows the fundamentals of staying at a ryokan including taking a bath...very educational!

Here is a great video  (A Japanese Bath House) that gives a comprehnsive overview of an onsen-ryokan establishment.

Entering the Bathing Area

Perhaps the most critical aspect of taking an onsen bath to get right is to ensure that you enter the changing and bathing area for the right gender!  (We will address mixed gender bathing in another section).

In Japan the entrance to the initial changing area before the bathing area is always demarked with a colored curtain with the Kanji (Chinese-origin characters) denoting men or women written on it.  Though you may not be able to recognize the symbol, the color of the curtain for men is always blue and the color for women is always red.  An easy way to remember this to recall the phrase, “All women love red roses”.  If you are still uncertain it may be best to attempt to ask any attendant in the area, or alternatively to simply wait to see the gender of the next guest who enters or leaves the area and observe which curtain they had selected.  


 

Often times the bathing area entrances will be in close proximity to each other on the same floor of the hotel, however they are sometimes located on different floors.  The front desk of the hotel/ryokan where you are staying should hopefully be able to tell you if this is the case and also to provide you with information on the operating hours of the baths.  An additional point to be careful of is that in most establishments the bathing areas for men and women will switch based up the time of day (this is to allow guests to enjoy all of the various baths of the facility during their stay).   The men’s bath may switch to the women’s bath in the morning and vice-versa.  It is important to not get too comfortable with thinking you are heading into the correct bathing area simply because that is where you went earlier in your stay…always pay attention to the curtain colors!

The Changing Area

One will typically find just inside the changing area curtain and area to leave ones slippers from your room (don’t wear your slippers into the changing area).  You need not worry about which are yours necessarily as they all look the same and one will often experience the slippers getting mixed up anyway. 


 

One then steps into the main changing area which in most cases will be a collection of shelves with individual baskets, and a few benches on which to sit.  (In some cases the changing areas will have individual lockers which can be locked with the deposit of a 100 yen coin and then you are given a key on a plastic elastic band to put around your ankle or wrist so as not to lose).  Here you will remove all your clothes and then proceed through what are typically sliding glass doors (some automatic, most manual) and into the steamy humidity of the inside bathing area.  Remember not to forget your modesty towel to take with you to the bath (this is usually a somewhat narrow white towel about 1 and ½ feet long (half a meter) that is used to casually cover your private areas while traversing around the bathing areas – often provided by the hotel/ryokan and found in your room at check-in.  It will also serve as your washcloth when cleaning yourself before soaking.

Time to Wash

Once inside the bathing area you should proceed directly to the washing area so that you can scrub.  As opposed to a western bath where one may use soap and scrub in the bath, an onsen bath is strictly for soaking, and doing so only after having become completely clean by thoroughly washing oneself in an area separate from the bath. 

Many washing areas have small walls separating the individual faucets from each other, others may not.  You should grab the small wooden stool that is often placed off to the side of where you entered (or sometimes already placed in front of the individual faucets) and then proceed to place it in front of the faucet that you have selected sitting down on the stool you should then turn on the faucet and fill your wooden bowl with water (you will use this later to help you rinse). 



Most faucets will have a separate water line leading to a hand shower that can also be used to aid bathing.   Soap (typically liquid body soap, but sometimes also with bar soap) and shampoo (and sometimes conditioner) are provided at each faucet.  

One should be extra certain to be sure to thoroughly rinse away all soap and shampoo from one’s body before proceeding to the bath, as contaminating the water with soap residue is a major social infraction.

Time to Soak

The inside baths are called O-furo (the “f” is slightly under-pronounced more like a whispered “h”).  Depending on the facility you are in there may be a number of different baths with different temperatures or one large bath.  The water temperature in most onsen baths will be significantly higher than most western bathers are used to experiencing in their own bath (oddly, sometimes the water is so hot you may feel a false sensation of cold).  It is best to gently ease oneself into the water slowly in a very relaxed manner.  Splashing in the onsen is another social infraction so as you move yourself around the bath to your desired positioning make sure to do so in as softly a manner as possible. 


 

Please also note that yet another social infraction is to immerse your modesty towel in the water.  Many bathers will put place the towel folded on top of their head or place it off to the side of the bath on a rock or somewhere where it will not fall in the water.

Depending on your personal tolerance you may soak in the bath for a long time or for only a few minutes.  Some Japanese can be observed going through a cyclical routine of going from the cleaning area to the O-furo numerous times in what appears to be a great more time spent lathering up and rinsing than actually soaking in the hot spring waters!  Regardless of one’s preference for soaking a long time or going back and forth to the shower and enjoying only short soaks, it should be remembered that the experience is truly meant to be one that is physically and mentally relaxing, so pick the style that is best for you!

Outdoor Bath (Roten-buro)

Many facilities will also offer outdoor baths called Roten-buro.  If the facility you are visiting has a Roten-buro it will typically be accessed through a glass door located in the bathing area (some however have entrances from the changing area, but his is a less frequently observed design).  Regardless of the time of year, a Roten-buro bath usually offers an even more relaxing time than the inside O-furo. 



Many Roten-buro have beautiful views, or are located beside rivers with rushing waters adding another relaxing sensory element to the experience.  A truly wonderful Roten-buro experience is one in mid-winter where you are able to soak in the hot waters but with your head in the crisp cold air and are able to gaze upon the nearby snowy mountains.  Much can be said as well for sitting under the stars on a clear night and soaking in the relaxing water.



 

After the Bath

After you have had your final soak it is time to head back to the washing area and give yourself another round of soap and shampoo, rinse and then get ready to head back into the changing area.  Once you proceed through the doors back into the changing area it is custom to try to give yourself a cursory drying with you modesty towel so as not to drip too much water across the floor of the main changing area.  You can then proceed back to your basket containing your clothes or yukata (kimono –like robe provided by the ryokan/hotel) and dry off with your larger towel. 

Most facilities will have space off to the side of the changing area where you can find a long counter with a mirror, hairdryers, and an assortment of toiletries to complete your post-bath preparations.  Depending on the quality of the facility you can find everything from razors to hair combs and tonic. After you are done you can then exit back through the curtains through which you first entered.  In many facilities there will a relaxation area for guests to utilize once they have exited.  This area may include massage chairs, vending machines, some couches, and perhaps cold tea service.

Your first trip to soak in hot springs water at an onsen-ryokan in Japan is sure to be an experience to remember and perhaps the start of an affinity which will bring you back for other stays in the future.   Even if you believe you will only visit Japan once be sure to make a trip to an onsen-ryokan part of your travel plans for the experience is surely one that is quintessentially Japanese! 

Here is another great video which provides a nice overview of an onsen-ryokan establishment with a variety of baths (outdoor-private, outdoor, indoor, indoor-private)  The video is in Japanese and has brief tasteful partial nudity.