...dressed or undressed together in the same room...
...girls wearing a towel just wrapped around the important areas
now that is actually in a way false advertising ...
... and it's like a little glass bottle and you drink it with like one hand
when you drink you do like... nonomnom
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese, it's Cathy Cat.
Do you like having a nice bath, do you like having a hot relaxing bath?
Well then you're in the right place because this time i'm gonna give you the
ultimate Japan Hot-Spring Onsen Guide, everything
you need to know before you actually dip your feet into the relaxing waters of
Japan... so don't miss this one there's gonna be
some help for you before you come and maybe some things that even those
who've been to an onsen don't know yet so let's go for the ultimate onsen guide
A survey in 2018 said 103 million people use the onsen that year
which is almost the same as the
population of Japan... at 126 million which means
almost every Japanese citizen went to an onsen
not just the bathtubs at home to an actual onsen here in Japan.
Now why do Japanese people love it so much?
And what are the big problems when tourists come and use those onsen?
Even though quite a lot of education has been put out about
onsen there's still a lot of tourists who use it in the wrong way
even though it's number 4 on the top things that tourists wants to do
in Japan. So let's first start with the basic need to know
before you enter the onsen...
Number 1: minimum luggage... when you come to an onsen depending on where the onsen
is and especially if you go out further here on to the countryside
of Japan there might not be a locker. There's generally only
like always a changing room but
sometimes in that changing room there will only be some straw baskets
so you get undressed there, there's no not even a little
cubicle for you to hide in.... you get undressed in the same
room with everyone around you...
i know the first time that is very intimidating
but you just get undressed .... SOMETHING JUST BIT MEEEEEE
You will generally get undressed with everyone else in the same room
there is no curtain and there is no cubicle meaning all the ladies will be
in one room and all the gents will be in one room
getting dressed or undressed together in the same room
I know the first time that can be very intimidating
but you need to be completely naked
No swimsuits allowed at all! Now there you might be lucky and you might have a
locker room but generally usually at the entrance sometimes there
are special lockers that you can rent as well
if you have some valuables that you definitely cannot have, also do not bring
your phone because all the phones recently have
cameras and if you film in there you're in big trouble
even if you're just gonna go "Ooh i'm in an Onsen!" NO! Not happening
Don't do it. So have your valuables somewhere else because you might not be
able to store them.
With the minimum luggage you can and should bring...
there should always be some coins with you if there is a locker
you can use those coins and if there isn't a locker
you'll use those coins later, trust me you'll need those i'll tell you in a moment why
You can bring your own towels but you sometimes can also rent them
and usually shampoo and body soap is supplied there.
Sometimes they even have some really nice and fancy ones that you
can have as a trial and then buy later when you head out or
sometimes it's just very basic so it's up to you if you want to bring it
I'm surprised you are allowed to brush your teeth there... i've seen quite a lot
of people do that... and but again be careful before you use
all the things in there also be sure to wipe them down with a little bit of soap
and spray them with some water before you wash yourself
Number 2: I already cut into it a little bit
you need to completely wash yourself before you enter the onsen
meaning ... not just a little bit of water splishy splashy here that you might do
before you go into the pool NAH-AH! Ain't happening!
You need to be squeaky squeaky clean meaning
you have to wash your hair properly with
shampoo and everything rinse it properly, your body
also shampoo rinse everything...every nook and cranny should be super squeaky clean
that's because there's not as much chlorine in the water
and you know.....you kind of want everyone else to do the same
you don't want to sit in a soup of other people's bodily fluids
so on that note make sure you're incredibly incredibly
clean before you go into the bathtub.
They also call it kakeyu which you'll also be seeing there
there's usually a little scoop as well
in which you can just splash a little bit of water on you
I recommend using that after you showered completely so
for example shower, shower, shower, get everything squeaky clean wash up the
soap if you accidentally carry some soap into
the bathtub you're in big trouble, because you're
ruined kind of the onsen... so make sure you're use super clean
de-soaked and then maybe use a bit of the KAKEYU which is the hot water as
well, to kind of get your skin used to the heat
of the upcoming water ...because trust me on one thing
onsens are hot
and this is the most important thing to
in order to keep up the harmony of an onsen where everyone is bathing together
treat that space with respect
Don't litter, make sure you're super clean make sure everyone has a good experience
Now you are naked you're completely clean
smelling of roses or whatever soap there is ...
and now it's time for the good stuff:
it's time to take that bath that you've been
waiting for to having!!! And trust me guys it's worth it but here
are a couple of things you need to know before you actually hop into that
freshly run bath that is gonna be there.... it's not freshly run
but it's there ...oh my god now i'm gibbering....
First of all make sure that the temperature matches yourself
I know if you guys come from Europe you might be thinking
"oh i've been to hot springs before"
don't measure them on Japanese standards, they're a lot hotter than the average
bath so before you go in maybe check the
temperature and maybe start .... you should start with one
that has a lower temperature and then work your way up from there
not to give your body a shock. You might not be used to the heat
and it's totally okay not to go in the same bath that Japanese people go to
I sometimes had to give up on certain bath types.... they're just too damn hot
at certain times .... now other things you need to know is when you go
into the bathtub if you have wonderful hair like i do or
even any type of longer hair be sure to tie that up
you wouldn't want to go into a bathtub and then have
other people's hairs in it ... it's gross so make sure that you tie
your hair up and away... some older people wear like some fancy bath heads
but you don't need to do that if you
really really tie it up nice and high... don't let your hair touch the water
same thing though though. No diving
because obviously then your hair is totally in the water
and no splishing and splashing and swimming around, it's not a pool!
Do not treat it like a pool! Do not splash your friends with water
like in a pool it's a place to rest, it's a place to relax,
and to cleanse. So don't do the same kind of stuff that you would do if you were in a pool.
You might have seen a tv show with cute idols, an anime or manga
where girls wearing a towel just wrapped around the important areas
and then enter the bath like that... now that is actually
in a way false advertising because not even a towel is
allowed inside the bathtub, meaning those towels
do not go in the tub! You can have them somewhere stored
but do not take them with you ... You can maybe have a little towel folded on top
of your head but don't let that bath towel
touch the water and sometimes they are smaller
and if you go into an onsen there's smaller bathtubs, that are like for one person
if you're lucky and you get one of those
be sure that you don't overspend your time in there. So maybe spend around 15
minutes but then make sure that you rotate around and use the other
bathtubs and give other people a chance to use it.
Also if you are in a group of more people
you're probably gonna cause a little bit more nuisance if you're all like talking
and stuff at the same time and you're all taking up a bath
So make sure that after 15 minutes you rotate and go somewhere else
and again especially for those really chatty types, i know you want to chat
with your friends but keep it down don't shout too much, don't overtake the
space people are there to relax and just chill and give them that time as well
Just look out for your neighbors not only for your friends but for everyone else
who's in the onsen
3: Onsens can potentially also be kind of dangerous so please be careful and watch
out for that. Some of these things i can tell you is
usually onsen, inside has quite a lot of ingredients there
might be some things that are really good for your skin and such
which is great but if you use these kind of things
...you might slip on the floor it might be kind of slimy sticky
that's the kind of consistency some onsens are
so be careful not to slip
also with the heat i mentioned it before you can actually get dehydrated
you can also really shock your system if you bathe too hot for too long
So pace yourself, take breaks and also make sure that you drink enough water
Don't try and go into the like 42 43 ones really really hot ones, and then
you know forget about the time...
i mean it's good to forget about the time but just be careful of your body
sometimes onsens also have saunas attached again
they will show you a certain time you should be in there oh....
don't overstay that time! You can make yourself seriously sick
also if you've eaten quite a big meal or had alcohol beforehand
it's not advisable to go into the onsen but...
what is always advisable is to drink drink drink during drink. Usually they
have a little fountain there so you can drink water there for free
it's drinking water, it's safe to drink. You will know you've been a lot in the
onsen when that drinking water suddenly changes taste and will taste so much better
that's when you know you've definitely gone a little bit dehydrated
and you need that water. My little hint is actually don't just rely on that little drinking water fountain
because you only have little sips. My Recommendation is get yourself a bottle
of water before you go in... and then maybe refill that because
you'll definitely need at least half a liter to just refill all the
stuff that you actually sweat out...
so stay on the safe side guys
YUZURIAI is an important word here in the Japanese culture and also for having
an onsen and that's too share, meaning this is a shared space
and like I mentioned it earlier, treat it with respect and also swap
around with other people. There are other things you should not do in the onsen
Now i'm German and we love reserving our seats...
and places with our towels don't we? We kind of have a bad reputation for that
also again don't do that in Japan... all my German kinsmen and everyone else who
loves to reserve places with a towel or items you can't do that in onsen
usually there isn't even no space you can't even reserve one of those little shower parts
so all your items usually go onto a little shelf, store them in that shelf
and once you're done pick it up
so far no one has ever nicked any of my makeup or ...makeup remover items
or like shower item stuff, that doesn't go away.
So don't worry about that one but don't reserve a space
Also number two is: do not blow your nose
you know how some people go PFAH or spit on the floor or something like that
it's gross people walk there bare feet so make sure that that area is clean
and there are usually toilets attached to if you need to go and blow your nose or something ...
just hop into the toilet there's some tissue paper around that area
usually the entrance area as well, just make sure that the space is clean
(reads script from phone... okay)
Also if you feel kind of off on that day even, if you're coming with friends be
honest if you don't feel like bathing don't do it!!!
I once did that mistake i wasn't 100 happy i wasn't like 100 myself
and i had a bath that was too hot, I got really sick afterwards so if your body
is telling you not to bathe: don't go.
Also girls in case it's "ladies (shark) day" don't go... i know you want to go with all
your friends and maybe all of them are off their lady days...
but if you're the only one on you can't go...
there is no "Oh i'm gonna use a tampon because I can bathe I can swim with that"
NO oh don't do that! Even with the tampon you shouldn't be using the onsen
i once asked if Japanese girls do that to like another Japanese lady
and she looked at me in shock!!! She was absolutely terrified at the suggestion
of entering an onsen even when you're wearing a tampon it's just no
If it's your "princess days", your "lady days" your time of the month "shark days"
just don't go swimming don't take that shark to the onsen okay ?
And finally you need to enjoy that experience
so sit down relax take a deep breath and if there are other Japanese
people with you and you should make eye contact be sure
to give them a smile
you're kind of in maybe their local bath and this is where they daily go
and suddenly there are those strangers coming in... be sure to give them a smile
make them feel welcome and generally I have the sweetest conversations with
older ladies... they usually go "where are you from?"
and they go ask what you thought "oh this is great" and stuff like
that so you know that creates that loving caring
and wonderful atmosphere that you can get in the onsen so be sure to give them
a smile even if you don't speak Japanese: give them a smile!
Now after bathing there's still quite a lot of things to enjoy.
First of all if your body tells you to go out of the water - go out of the water!
Even if everyone is still staying in there... go out, relax in the other space
Once you go to the changing rooms, what i can recommend you
when you went in the first time and you brought maybe your own soap bring that
own towel. Before you enter the changing rooms you need to be dry meaning
you cannot walk from the bath to your locker and
take out the towel and then pat yourself dry.
I got told off for that... people get very angry
because you drip the water on the changing room floor
which is sometimes made out to tatami or similar
materials that actually damage with too
much water ...so what you need to do is have that towel
when you first go in and then pat yourself down
before you go into the locker room
don't go in there wet. Seriously i got told off i won't ever forget that now
Pat yourself down, go to the locker and then you can get changed
but there's another nice thing that you can do it's generally for us ladies especially
usually when there's a mirror, there's be free tissues to use, there's usually also
cotton buds in case you want to clean your ears so maybe
you know have some makeup residue that somehow survived all that washing and
cleansing and what's usually quite nice is if you
go to a nice onsen, there's gonna be a row of PEWDIE products
PEWDIE products???
There's gonna be a row of beauty products
so there's gonna be some like
moisturizing liquid and then some moisturizing milk
and there's a couple of other things that you can test out there and
if you like it, you can even buy in the shop later, but usually they're there on
there for free, so make use of those. I generally always bring myself a face mask
just to ...because your skin opened up
with everything and you're so clean if you pop on a face mask
a nice cool face mask after you've been in the hot onsen that's great
Also if you're the type who doesn't like to sweat after the onsen
make sure you shower yourself down before you go with a little bit of
colder water that will stop you from sweating.
In the changing rooms there's also going to be big ventilator fans so you can stand in
front of them and cool yourself down like this HAAAAH
It's one of the most best things and once you've done all of that there is
generally a vending machine in your changing rooms or outside your
changing rooms and that's where those coins come in handy
What i usually like to do then is... the coin that i got back from the locker if
there was a locker i then use straight to get myself either
a cold drink or cold energy drink that would kind of
replenish all the salts that you lost. Or what's very very popular in Japan is
getting KOHI GYUUNYUU or some kind of milk drink and it's like
a little glass bottle and you drink it with like one hand
on on your hip and you drink like NOMNOM
it's the Japanese way you gotta do it like it just for the experience
So one more time before leaving don't forget shower yourself down a little bit
washing off all the things that you might have bathed in
Maybe cold water or not.... pat yourself down go over to the changing room get
changed, put on all those nice things for your face, you're gonna have the best
skin after this ever!!! And be careful because all of that in
and out is usually where it's the most slipperiest so just be careful
not to slide on your way out of the onsen
Some of the items that I mentioned around the girls changing rooms are also
in the men's room and some hair tonic and similar so
be sure to look out for that boys, and have a look around at that one
Now if you go to an onsen make sure you enjoy the time
it's a wonderful experience and i tell you afterwards your skin is going to be
amazing i like to generally massage my calves
just like slightly when i'm in the hot bath because on the next day
i have the skinniest legs!!! I love it so yeah!
I hope you enjoyed these tips the ultimate tips for taking an onsen in
japan and you learned something new! Be sure to remember those when you come
to Japan to make your onsen journey a full success and enjoy it to the most
I promise you guys you won't be disappointed! I loved it!
One more thing though be careful if you have a tattoo that you
check beforehand if they will let you in with a tattoo. Sometimes covering it is
okay sometimes talking with them beforehand is okay
but make sure you tell them because you don't want to get turned
around at the door. So be careful about that one! I hope you enjoyed this and
i'll catch you soon for more stuff on Ask Japanese don't forget we need that LIKE
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So thanks for checking us out and i'll catch you soon bye!
I really need an onsen now... i sweated so much oh
by the way japanese people use an onsen
in winter and in summer there is no problem with using onsen in
summer, and I'd love to do that now! Mmh!