Going home and Discovering relaxation and comfort in an Onsen / Hot Springs
Wednesday 20 May 2009 at 2:54 pm.After listening to Hawaiian music for two hours waiting to board our plane at Honolulu International Airport and the mindless, long 7 to 8 hours of flight, we arrived at Narita Airport. An hour and a half later we arrived, by train, in the heart of Tokyo, a city you would think never sleeps.
It was a very short trip back to Japan and I somehow discovered something that I had never before appreciated growing up in Japan. I found out how to relax and comfort myself in true Japanese tradition.
Onsen or Hot Springs in Japan!!
The ultimate hot spring experience is spending a night at an Onsen Ryokan, a Japanese style Inn. Onsen Ryokan are found in various sizes in hot spring resorts across Japan. There are many types of hot springs, distinguished by the minerals dissolved in the water. Different minerals provide different health benefits. Anyway, generally speaking, all hot springs are supposed to have a relaxing effect on your body and mind. I found this to be very true.
My partner and I visited Takaragawa Hot springs where the world’s finest large open spa is located. There are three large baths for mixed bathing and one women-only bath, all outdoors in a deep ravine with an icy river rushing between the steaming pools.
Osenkaku Lodge in Takaragawa hot springs, where we stayed, is a hidden hot spa in Gunma Prefecture. A typical onsen ryokan starts with a bath before dinner. After our trip from Tokyo by Shinkansen and bus, we were ready for our first bath. Next, we enjoyed the beautifully arranged Japanese style dinner in our tatami room. After dinner, we experienced the magic of the baths under an almost full moon. It was a most beautiful evening. Following a night of restful sleep, we arose with the sun and enjoyed one last bath before our breakfast in the lodge.
Onsen in Japan are to be enjoyed naked, though there are a few exceptions. The majority of baths are gender separated, but a few are mixed. Osenkaku Lodge has the most famous mixed hot open spa! But don’t worry Ladies, you can cover yourself with a towel and bathe in the hot springs. For the Gents, the lodge provides a small towel to use as a washcloth and for modesty. But to be honest, the natural beauty and relaxation makes the stress of being naked drift away like the steamy mists of this beautiful onsen.
