Unfortunately many foreigners visiting or living in Japan miss out on the whole onsen/sento thing. Not because they don’t know of its existence, but because they don’t feel comfortable going nude in public, or… well… in the privacy of a public bath house.
So, is it a cultural thing? After all, no Japanese person will ever understand this inhibition when it comes to bathing. Let’s have a look at that. I feel it is safe to assume different cultures have different views about nudity. In many African tribes for example women don’t cover their breasts because they don’t have the cultural inhibition to do so. Equally, in many strictly religious cultures social values dictate that skin should be covered, not revealed.
Many foreigners shying away from Japanese bath houses don’t come from either cultural background, but come instead from countries where showing skin is directly linked to sex, hence the inhibition.
Is that any different from how the Japanese society sees it though? Probably only ever so slightly. Fashion in Japan is similar, and perhaps less skin-revealing compared to fashion in any western country.
Would the answer then be just a simple: “the Japanese are used to it”? Probably. Thus the good news is that nudity is merely a nuisance, and once we overcome our own fear of a nude self, we can sit back and enjoy the bath.
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at 8:48 pm and is filed under The way of the sento . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
Indeed.
I am still intimidated to visit onsen (unless I am with a friend). It is just that how it is.
I was told by a friend that before the Americans came – the onsen used to be even mixed (women and men naked in the same room). I do not know if this is true though.
Thanks for your comment! I have heard most onsen and sento used to indeed be mixed. There are still a few of those around, but I think these days bathing suits are required in those place.
Indeed…
. It was a great experience and now I am an onsen lover 
It took me one year here in Japan to decide to go to an Onsen
Thank you for the answer Wouter.
It seems the Americans indeed did it
I dunno, I would say that anyone who’s spent significant time in gym changerooms or group showers should have no great difficulty adapting to onsen nudity. I’ve taken lots of folks and they seem to get over the embarrassment hump pretty quickly.
There are still a small number of mixed onsen around. I’ve been to one that allowed girls to wear a standard bathing costume that was available so that could be the ticket for those who are too embarrassed to get completely naked. Of course, guys still had to go naked!
Good pint Chris_D. And you’re right, for some the hump is less of a hurdle than for others.
Thanks for the plug. I didn’t mean to sound in any way pretentious about my original comment. I too enjoy Gokuraku Yu, and have continued to enjoy this sento chain for a number of years now. It’s a great place to relax and unwind. I would recommend it to anybody.
Nudity will take some time for people. Once you get over that hump it should be smooth sailing. Avoiding eye contact helps.
Hi Wouter,
Just to let you know that I really liked your guide so I added your blog to my blogroll (I think this is the first real blog I am adding there)
Cheers
I love onsens! But I never go to public ones. If you want to enjoy onsen without being a spectacle you can always stay at ryoukan. There you can reserve the onsen for hour or so and you or you and your companion can enjoy without prying eyes. Most of the ryoukan I’ve gone to allow you to reserve time, some even until the wee hours of the night.
Good post Wouter san!
the response for this is multipronged.
1) most of western civilization is built upon a christian or catholic background. this being said, from youth most of us are force fed certain beliefs that may stem from the teachings of these crazy religions.
2) people gawk at me on the street when i am fully clothed, i dont want them gawking at me when i am naked (in jealousy, naturally). living in japan is about as uncomfortable as it gets for us foreigners, getting naked in front of a bunch of strange dudes and having them gawk at my junk, doubly so. while this may sound homophobic (which you can again relate back to the forced christain beliefs), i also think most of us arent comfortable just hanging about with a bunch of other naked dudes. would you do it back home?
3) no tattoos. since our society does not shun tattoos as much as japanese society does, this could be another reason.
4) whats the point of bathing in nasty bathwater that people have been teabagging when i can bathe at home, in water that only i have teabagged?
5) no shaved women allowed. many girls i know have been shamed out of the onsen or told to leave because they shaved downstairs. this, from what i understand, stems from the japanese belief that if they shave downstairs, they must be in porn.
i could continue but i think these are the bulk of the reasons either i or my friends have for not going. if it is a private onsen the case is different of course. i personally will never visit a public bath house because i dont see the point in going and paying for something that i can do at home for cheaper and without being gawked at by all the slack jawed yokels that live in this country.
For me, one of the attractions is the surroundings. This is why I always favour outdoor baths over indoors. Something about bathing with misty mountains in the background, flakes of snow drifting around your face, enjoying the night view of Miyajima shrine etc.
Secondly, maybe the water itself. A lot of onsens seem like they may as well be tap water, but a few have water that seems generally therapeutic. I’m sure its mostly in the mind but based on the water itself, my favourite is probably Arima onsen. They have two types of water, one rich in mineral salts and another that is naturally carbonated.
Finally, I do enjoy the social aspect. Whether taking a bottle of sake down to the outdoor bath on a frosty Feb night with a mate, or starting up conversations with other random bathers and being given cups of sake (hmm maybe a trend here?).
Thanks satan for your comment. I respect your opinion. It turns out a lot of Japanese people too share your opinion. Thanks for sharing it here.
Chris, the surroundings are indeed part of the atmosphere of an onsen. I’ve always been curious about the effects of the onsen water. Many places have signs up on the wall with the benefits of their water. Whatever benefit the minerals in the water might provide, I think a big aspect is the relaxation it provides. Stress is known to cause all sorts of ailments, and relaxing would then logically work preventive. Thanks for your comment! Keep ‘em coming.
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