Wellness: Japanese Bathing, Hot Springs & Onsen Culture
christina
One of the most transcendental cultural experiences I’ve experienced in Japan is the ritual of bathing that draws on the renowned hot springs and Onsen (温泉) culture that the country is famous for. With nearly 30,000 hot springs throughout the country and a unique culture and history, it's no wonder that this experience is so popular with Japanese and tourists alike. What it has taught me personally about ritual and the body as a metaphor for culture, (as a Western observer and participant), is far more interesting than just the basics of cleanliness.
Drawing (literally) from the seismic activity of the land here, Japan has historically integrated hot spring bathing into daily life for millennia. Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama is said to be the oldest onsen with a 3,000 year history, while some say ruins in Nagano prefecture suggest the link to spa culture goes back 6,000 years.
Onsens were traditionally used as a ritual for cleansing the mind and spirit in pre-Buddhist, Shinto practices. This act of revitalizing and rejuvenation was later incorporated into Buddhist rituals, and has since evolved throughout the country to include both young and old as a cultural staple of life here. Here's an interesting overview of the history of onsen that also touches on the Japanese understanding of nudity contrasted with the European Christian Missionary perspective that links nudity to sex and sin.
History aside, throughout Japan you will find numerous types of water with different health benefits, as well as entire towns and regions dedicated to onsen culture. You can find various settings (and prices) that can include public bath houses casually located on side-streets, indoor/outdoor gender-separated spas, and of course, higher-priced private rooms in beautiful ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) that have magnificent outdoor overlooks. You can even find publicly available (and typically free) foot baths that are placed in various parks throughout the country.
In every setting, onsens capitalize on the geothermal nature of the environment and have a healing effect on the body's nervous system through the stimulation of circulation. Healing the skin, as well as reversing and slowing down aging and disease are but a few of the benefits typically associated with this great soaking culture.
I've had the blessing to try a few different kinds of onsens while traveling through Japan. From a casual outdoor spa outside Kyoto at the foot of Mt. Kurama, to a free footbath at the base of the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima, the experience has always been an amazing one. Most recently, we stayed consecutively in a series of Dormy Inns, a business hotel chain throughout Japan that incorporates the onsen experience into their model. In staying at these hotels in Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Kumamoto, I participated daily for almost 2 weeks in the ritualistic nature and process of bathing communally; it was mind blowing and expansive in ways I never even considered.
When you first arrive on the onsen floor, you enter through a security-coded gate and remove your shoes to be left at the door. You then head over to the locker room area where women of all ages (I saw children as young as 6 and grandmothers well into their 80s) are getting completely naked (bathing suits are not allowed). Next, you head to a communal showering area where there are individual stalls for you to cleanse before you go into the communal baths. This shower is meant as a preparation for the act of soaking and is an important part of the onsen ritual. Yes, it is for cleaning yourself before you share communal water with others, but some say that this first step of bathing is meant to cleanse the body, whereas the onsen is meant to cleanse the mind and soul.
The process of showering became a ritual in and of itself that evoked a sensual and calming quality that was unparalleled. To be clear, when I say sensual, I am not inferring sexuality or sex but rather the experience of being consciously aware of being inside the body. You sit down on a stool in your own stall, surrounded by other people of all sizes and shapes, and there is a mirror in front of you. You have to look at the mirror if you keep your eyes open, because if you are not looking at yourself, you are looking at others.
By visually observing myself showering I became fully aware of myself in my body. From a Western perspective, my body awareness has typically been in comparison to others, especially through mass-mediated images of other people that I've been bombarded by in our hyper-connected reality. It is only through a yoga practice, dancing and meditation that I've found a regular way into my own personal body awareness. What I found in this bathing ritual seemed to be a new avenue - especially once the routine of it settled in and I got over all my hang-ups around nudity.
Communally bathing naked within a multi-generational space of strangers started off a little uncomfortable to be honest, but after the 2nd night I was questioning what my issues really were. It occurred to me that everyone there in that room did not care that I was naked; this was totally normal to them; it was all in my head. As I unpacked my own issues of insecurity, I started instead to focus on having appreciation for my body and the human form. I started to feel more confident.
Being in my body, in front of the mirror, in this ritualistic cleansing process created a new space for me to see myself and others in the spectrum of all creation. I know that sounds super existential, but trust me, it felt that way. By participating in a daily fashion, I released myself from my own fears of nudity, imperfection and comparison. I started to see with clear eyes my own beauty and that of every age and form of the body, young and old, represented by those around me. Additionally, it helped me to unlearn old programming around self-appreciation that were deep inset patterns.
Whereas I first went into the shower area self-conscious, I left on the last day feeling more myself than ever before; more at ease with both my imperfections and my beauty. In the past I've really only used a mirror in 2 ways - the first in preparation mode - "getting ready" for an event, brushing my teeth and combing my hair; the 2nd, typically to take inventory of what's going on – i.e. what I like and dislike about myself. Perhaps those reading this have indulged in self- appreciation and admiration with a mirror, but I typically have not.
After a shower, you proceed with your "modesty" towel (a small washcloth) to the bathing pools and begin your soak. There are typically multiple pools that may be indoors and outdoors; each with different temperatures. The water is pumped up from the geothermal springs beneath the building. The spaces are designed in a Japanese style - as if from a dream of rice-paper screens and dim lanterns, replete with bonsai trees and relaxing music playing. It is like being inside art - a living, breathing, beautiful piece of art and culture.
The sensation of soaking is incredible and immediately calmed and centered me. I felt grounded and relaxed within 15 minutes in ways that evoke a true quality of peace that I don't typically feel day-to-day. I was relaxed, expansive, heavy and calm in my body. I felt at ease and truly comfortable. As someone who deals with anxiety, it brought me back to a state of absolute security and general wholeness. The process of slowing down and being appreciative of my body was energizing, and I slept deeply after every night of soaking.
Perhaps others reading this may be accustomed to a more relaxed bathing experience, or maybe you've already integrated ritualized bathing into your lifestyle, but it's still pretty new to me. The intentional, relaxed, slow and sensuous environment of the onsen created a physical space for me to be in my body in ways that the crazy NY hurry-up-and-go mentality around showering and bathing I learned as a child do not.
It made me consider what would it mean for us in the West to have this embodiment ritual normalized in our day-to-day reality throughout our lives? What would the implications of such a ritual be on one's personal self-worth or of a community's over time? How would we understand body confidence at a personal and communal level? How would we be able to better appreciate ourselves and others with a lens of love for our bodies? How does the experience contribute to peace and comradery amongst people?
It turns out, with respect to this last question, that the onsen is known to create community. This amazing article details one Westerner's perspective on bathing with his office team members and participating in Hadaka no Tsukiai (裸の付き合い) or "naked relationships." Known as a metaphor for healthy communication, “naked relationships” contribute to the community at large as bath houses, sentō (銭湯), were traditionally communal gathering places where people could be with each other and with Nature.
Actually, Japan is well-known for its deep, historic eco-philosophy and many have documented the Japanese love of Nature as well as the cultural attitude of appreciation toward Nature. The onsen experience fundamentally becomes a place where people can be together in a place of admiration, appreciation and love for Nature and therefore their bodies. This act of appreciation becomes one not just for self and community but for planet - an environmental awareness activism of sorts.
The onsen experience is enlightening and life-changing and made me consider how this ritualized experience of being in the body is cherished by the culture and people of Japan. Given the impact of technology and city-life driving our evolving reality, it seems obvious to have such a practice in order to stay grounded and at peace within ourselves and Nature.
It made sense to me that every day you can create this calming ritual to take inventory of the body and prepare yourself for rest. It had me considering the effects on the body over time and how the Japanese secrets to longevity may rest with the Onsen culture as well as the diet as many have reported.
One thing is for certain, I kept wondering how I could maintain this ritual in my daily life (even without a volcanic hot spring nearby). Since it was so transformative for me, I hope this article inspires you to get out of your comfort zone and go try the onsen experience if you have the opportunity. Your body, mind and soul will thank you and perhaps you will feel closer to Nature than ever before.
PS: If you are interested in visiting an onsen and participating in this ritual of bathing, there are numerous information sources online that describe how to use an onsen and what the rules and etiquette are while you are there. Also, for those of you looking for tatoo-friendly onsen, there are new tools that can help you find an appropriate bath house. Finally, if you are reading this and considering an onsen but afraid of the nudity thing, please trust me, nobody is watching or cares. Give yourself permission to try something new and face your fear – it will be worth it, I promise.