Japanese culture is rich with ancient heritage. Their modern lifestyle and traditions were forged over centuries and the ritualistic bath time is no exception. Today we're shedding light into the relaxing onsen and bathing culture in Japan.
In Japan, bath time is not what we think of it here in the States. There are no soapy bubbles crowding the tub, no rubber duckies, and no scented aromas. The bath is a casual and common end of the day activity. Modern home advances has afforded the simple bath at home, but the roots of bath time date back to a more rustic and formal event.
Onsen, or natural hot springs
Onsen is defined as "hot water, mineral water, and water vapor gushing from underground". This water must be at least 25 ºC (77 ºF) originating at least 1.5 km (0.93 mi) underground, and contain specified amount of minerals (sulphur, sodium, iron, magnesium).
Bathing is an ancient practice
The oldest record of Japanese people utilizing the onsen date back 1300 years, but there is a chance undocumented use was even prior to that. The earliest records indicate that emperors and other imperial family members indulged in lengthy hot soaks. During that era, the bath was considered sacred and to have healing properties. Therefore those seeking cures to their ailments or diseases also made the journey to take solace in the natural pools. The practice to bath in onsen to cure illness is called tōji (湯治). Some of the oldest known pools include Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉), Nanki-Shirahama Onsen (南紀白浜温泉), and Arima Onsen .
Arima Onsen (有馬温泉)
Residing close to a bustling city, this hot spring is a quick getaway to beautiful and relaxing sceneries. This onsen was suspected to have been developed by Buddhist monks that helped popularize it over the centuries because until around the Edo period, onsen had close religious ties to Buddhism.
Gaining Popularity Among the General Population
During the Edo period public bathing houses started becoming more widespread because of ukiyo-e. Ukioy-e is the genre of Japanese art popular between the 17th and 19th centuries. These pieces portrayed the bustling bath houses and really shifted the notion of onsen away from religious and and healing purposes. Typically in an onsen visit, you shower yourself first at an individual washing station. Each station has a chair, soap, and shower head. After a quick scrub the patrons then soak in the natural hot waters like if it was a jacuzzi. It is found to be a relaxing and therapeutic experience.
The hot spring culture today
Now, going to the hot springs is part of life in Japan. Many types of onsen exist, from small and more casual encounters, to larger and more extravagant resort experiences. When we visit Japan, we typically will travel to an onsen at least once. On our last trip we made a special trip to the Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Yatsugatake in Hokuto (about 20 minutes away from Nagano). We went during the fall time to see the leaves in autumn colors, and we were not disappointed!
The onsen at this resort is a rare co-ed pool (non-nude), where our whole family got to experience the bath together. The springs were nestled in the woods just footsteps away from the hotel. Guys and girls prepared in different room before joining together in the outdoor onsen that connects them.
Aside: While the onsen was quite remarkable there was quite a bit more relaxation and activities to offer. This resort caters specifically to adults with young kids and is the perfect vacation within a vacation for those looking to get the complete onsen resort experience! For the adults there is a lot of wine tasting and food.
From Onsen to Home Bathing
Although the natural hot springs are preferred, the act of bathing in the Japanese culture is still strong. There are no bubble baths in Japanese culture. Unlike American bathrooms, Japanese bathrooms typically separate the bath tub from the shower area just like the onsen's do.
Ofuro
The Japanese word for bath is ofuro. Mom's often will say "ofuro hairo!" during bath time. This means "Let's get in the bath!" and signals that the bath water is hot and ready. First, it is customary to shower yourself clean before taking a relaxing soak. Asian households typically have the tub separated from the shower room. This way the bathrooms are set up to allow for easy and frequent soak multiple times a week.
This is how you can practice the centuries old tradition at in your home
Make sure you follow proper safety when bathing at home. Our girls love to warm up in a quick hot bath once or twice a week! We do not have a separated shower and tub in the same room. So what we do is to first get the warm bath water filled in a tub and ready. It takes around 12 minutes to fill the tub so having this prepared ahead of time helps downtime. Next, we shower like normal in our standing shower in a separate bathroom. After drying off we immediately head into the pre-heated tub.
Health benefits to the soak
The hot soak is great for relaxing your little one's muscles, its good for their skin, and nice to get warmed up before getting into bed. This removes the feeling of physical exhaustion (great for really active babies) and allows the baby to calm down before laying down to sleep.
Drying off
When they are getting out we like to wrap them in the most comfortable towel we have ever used. This towel is very unique as it is made from proprietary process that gives unmatchable volume. This volume keeps the towel soft no matter how many times you wash it in the washing machine. Plus, unlike other baby towels we've tried, the width is very wide so it is really easy to wrap your little one up. There is a button to hold the wrap together, and it comes in a variety of cute animals and colors. It really is the only towel you'll ever need and we happen to carry it here on CocoTora!
What hot springs experiences have you and your little one's had?
We'd love to hear about new places to see, so please share some suggestions for us to check out. We love discovering new places!
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