Onsen
In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 onsen establishments use naturally hot water from these geothermally heated springs.
Onsen may be either outdoor baths or indoor baths. Traditionally, onsen were located outdoors, although many inns have now built indoor bathing facilities as well. Nowadays, as most households have their own baths, the number of traditional public baths has decreased, but the number and popularity of hot spring resort towns have increased since the end of Second World War. Baths may be either publicly run by a municipality or privately, often connecting to a lodging establishment such as a hotel, ryokan, or minshuku.
The presence of an onsen is often indicated on signs and maps by the symbol ♨, the kanji , or the simpler phonetic hiragana character ゆ.
Definition
According to the Japanese Hot Springs Act, onsen is defined as "hot water, mineral water, and water vapor or other gas gushing from underground". The law states that mineralized hot spring water that feeds an onsen must be at least originating at a depth of at least, and contain specified amounts of minerals such as sulphur, sodium, iron, or magnesium.Even if it does not meet this definition, if the spring water is suitable for bathing, it is considered a "hot spring" in most cases. However, in that case, there are restrictions on the health benefits that the owner of the spring can claim.When onsen water contains distinctive minerals or chemicals, establishments often display what type of water it is, in part because the specific minerals found in the water have been thought to provide health benefits. Types include sulfur onsen, sodium chloride onsen, hydrogen carbonate onsen, and iron onsen.
History
Exactly when humans first began bathing in onsen in Japan is unknown, but historical records show it has a history of at least about 1,300 years. Many of the earliest records of onsen bathing document Japanese Emperors or members of the imperial family staying at onsen for long periods of time. At the time, onsen were thought to be sacred and to have healing properties. It is now believed those who traveled to onsen in these early records were seeking cures to disease or other ailments by bathing in the onsen water. This ancient practice of bathing in onsen to cure illnesses, often for long periods such as a week, is referred to as tōji. Some of the oldest onsen in Japan are considered to be Dogo Onsen in Ehime Prefecture, Shirahama Onsen in Wakayama Prefecture, and Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture.Until around the Edo period, onsen had close religious ties to Buddhism with temples often being built near onsen sources. During the Edo period, however, onsen began to gain popularity among the general population thanks in part to depictions of the hot springs in ukiyo-e. It is also during this period that the use of onsen shifted from being primarily for religious and healing reasons to being used for bathing for cleanliness and socializing.
In modern times, traveling to hot spring resort towns is a popular form of domestic tourism in Japan. During the bubble economy of the 1980s, there was a "onsen boom." Although the number of overnight guests at hot spring resorts has decreased slightly since the boom, travel to such onsen towns as a relaxing getaway is still popular among Japanese people.
Mixed bathing
Traditionally, men and women bathed together at both onsen and sentō communal bathhouses, but gender separation has been enforced at most institutions since the opening of Japan to the West during the Meiji Restoration.Mixed bathing is currently banned in Japanese public baths. Depending on the prefecture and local ordinances, children seven years old and younger may be exempt from this ban.
Private onsen called "family baths" can be found in many locations throughout Japan. These can be reserved and used for mixed bathing.
In the Japanese language, 2=女/おんな means Woman and 2=男/おとこ means Man. The characters and stands for Hot water, but also for a Bathing or Onsen. Generally, there is a separation called Noren curtains.
Etiquette
Onsen are a location where considerable offense can be caused if the proper social etiquette is not observed. The general procedure and expected etiquette closely resemble those used at a sento certain hours where outsiders may purchase day passes to enter. Standalone onsen open to the public also exist. Onsen are considered more of a special experience than the sento, which is used for common bathing. Due to their integrated location within a hotel, an entry attendant is rare and bathers will usually wear the hotel-provided yukata and indoor slippers to walk from their rooms to the onsen. Towels are provided to guests at the entry, and shower stations and vanities are fully stocked with toiletries and conveniences for bather's use, instead of guests being required to bring their own or purchase such items separately. Guests should not take wet towels or toiletries back with them or hoard the complimentary items. While it is common after a bath in the sento to quickly re-shower before leaving, many onsen bathers skip this second shower to keep the minerals from the hot spring on their skin. Onsen within ryokan or hotels are generally kept open 24 hrs a day, or only closed for a brief daily cleaning period, to allow guests to freely bathe in the middle of the night if the whim takes them. Popular, private, or specialized baths may require reservations or additional fees.Ensuring cleanliness
As at a sentō, at an onsen, all guests are expected to wash and rinse themselves thoroughly before entering the hot water. Bathing stations are equipped with stools, faucets, rinsing basins, and complimentary toiletries such as soap and shampoo; nearly all onsen also provide removable shower heads for rinsing convenience. Entering the onsen while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is socially unacceptable.One's hair should never touch the bath water and should be worn up.
Even though onsen can be a luxury experience and environment, guests are still expected to clean up after themselves by staying tidy and rinsing off their shower area for the next guest.
Swimsuits
Guests are not allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths or showers and must be completely nude.The only time swimsuits are allowed and required are in specific modern pools which allow both men and women to use them together, but many of these mixed onsen resemble more of a pool or waterpark than the traditional idea of an onsen.
Towel
Onsen guests generally have a small towel with them to use as a drying cloth, since re-entering the changing area while dripping wet is a faux-pas. The towel can also provide a modicum of modesty when walking between the washing area and the baths by holding it loosely in front of your genitals. Though many TV shows depict characters wearing a towel in the bath, this is a television invention used for actor modesty and wearing towels into the bath is forbidden. It is against the rules to immerse or dip towels in the onsen bath water, since this is considered unclean. People normally set their towels off to the side of the water when enjoying the baths, or place their folded towels on top of their heads to keep them out of the water.Tattoos
By 2015, around half of onsen operators had banned bathers with tattoos from using their facilities. The original reason for the tattoo ban was to keep out yakuza and members of other crime gangs who traditionally have elaborate full-body decoration. In 2016, the Japan Tourism Agency urged onsen operators to allow foreign customers with tattoos to use the onsen on a conditional basis in order to accommodate the increasing number of foreign tourists. On the other hand, onsen operators wanted foreign customers to enjoy the onsen, but were concerned that allowing foreign customers with tattoos to use the onsen would prevent them from keeping yakuza out of the onsen.However, tattoo-friendly onsen do exist. A 2015 study by the Japan National Tourism Organisation found that more than 30% of onsen operators at hotels and inns across the country will not turn someone with a tattoo away; another 13% said they would grant access to a tattooed guest under certain conditions, such as having the tattoo covered up. Some towns have many tattoo-friendly onsen that do not require guests to cover them up. Two such towns are Kinosaki Onsen in Hyōgo and Beppu Onsen in Ōita.
With the increase in foreign customers due to growing tourism, some onsen that previously banned tattoos are loosening their rules to allow guests with small tattoos to enter, provided they cover their tattoos with a patch or sticking plaster.
Benefits
There are various health benefits attributed to bathing in onsen. Onsen are particularly renowned for their relaxing and therapeutic effects. These effects are due to properties such as the temperature, pressure, and mineral composition of the water.A 2014 study conducted in Beppu, a city famous for its onsen, found that regular bathing in onsen has various health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, improving circulation and cardiovascular health, reducing chronic pain and fatigue, and lowering the rate of depression. A survey conducted in Atami, another city famous for its onsen, found that individuals with onsen in their homes were less likely to take blood pressure medication than those without onsen.
There are various types of onsen including carbonated springs, iron-containing springs, acidic springs, strong-smelling sulfur springs, among others. Each type of onsen is believed to have unique benefits. Carbonated springs, for example, are believed to lead to smooth skin. Onsen facilities often advertise various health and beauty benefits they claim their water to provide.
Water at some onsen facilities is drinkable. Onsen water should only be consumed if it is confirmed to be safe to drink by the prefecture. The water should be obtained from a designated drinking source that is separate from the water which is bathed in. The often mineral-rich onsen water is believed to have benefits such as treating iron-deficiency anemia or constipation.