Onsen Experience

[chaotah]

oh u say u go massage room
their onsen is not natural 1 right

not sure
is local fren bring me go one

 

[Handsome_guy]

Got any mixed onsen experience?

 

[vaxvms]

u wan mix onsen there are many in tohoku region

 

[lcpteck]

Are there any mixed onsens in Kansai region?

 

[cancer81]

one good tip

dun soak up to your neck for too long, soaking in hot water like this will make your heart rate go up and for some it will result in blackouts...

breaks can be taken by going up to waist level

 

[anyhowsaysay]

One of my favorite activity in Japan.
My preference is still outdoor onsen from my room.

anytime can access onsen without walking to public one

 

[cpuer]

one good tip

dun soak up to your neck for too long, soaking in hot water like this will make your heart rate go up and for some it will result in blackouts...

breaks can be taken by going up to waist level

yes, the heart will race faster if dipped till neck too long. Gave me a heart palpitation last time.

 

[marc2002]

I loved my experience in a ryokan at Miyajima. But i purposely choose weird timings like 9/10pm so there wld be less ppl (i think) . I would go again to one if i visit japan again but maybe find some more ulu ones cos i still feel uncomfortable if there is alot of ppl in the onsen

 

[kopite11]

i went to this ryokan at kusatsu onsen.
good thing is they accept single traveller and the onsen can be reserved for private usage.
I stay for one night i think i go to the onsen 5 times haha

 

[cpuer]

I loved my experience in a ryokan at Miyajima. But i purposely choose weird timings like 9/10pm so there wld be less ppl (i think) . I would go again to one if i visit japan again but maybe find some more ulu ones cos i still feel uncomfortable if there is alot of ppl in the onsen

For a start maybe you should go for those big spa like onsen. Where they have multiple pools and and large spaces for you to stay out of their view. But my experience tells me that none will take a second look at you, including those female onsen attendants.

 

[marc2002]

For a start maybe you should go for those big spa like onsen. Where they have multiple pools and and large spaces for you to stay out of their view. But my experience tells me that none will take a second look at you, including those female onsen attendants.

Of cos if i am in japan again, i will still visit one Hopefully i can go to a really open air one (in winter) The one at iwaso is too close to the hill (as in open air but its like tuck really between the ryokan and the hill (for privacy i guess). Saw the unrestricted open air in japan hour before, cant imagine how shiok it is

 

[cancer81]

those are also really really cold in winter

outdoor onsen pools are also set to be warmer than indoor ones due to this

 

[hoshiyume]

One of my favorite activity in Japan.
My preference is still outdoor onsen from my room.

anytime can access onsen without walking to public one

Where you go with private onsen? Do they allow single traveller? Trying to find one since I shy to show my fats

 

[cpuer]

Where you go with private onsen? Do they allow single traveller? Trying to find one since I shy to show my fats

I have seen heavier bathers in the onsens i been to. all local. No problem with fat and at ease with nature and themselves. Give it a go, don't think too much, I repeat, no one would take a second look at you. Not even the lady onsen attendents

 

[marc2002]

Where you go with private onsen? Do they allow single traveller? Trying to find one since I shy to show my fats

If you referrring to those private onsens in ryokan (some allow you to privately book the onsen for your own/family usage), most do allow single travellers but you would need to pay a slight premium over the price. But in peak periods, they might reject single travellers, at least thats what the staff in Iwaso told me. I also do notice this note in some ryokans' webbie.

 

[cancer81]

there are different configurations

some hotels/ryokans pipe the hot spring water everywhere and thus have rooms where you get your own ensuite onsen. Room is normally 2

some ryokans have small private baths that you need to pay to use. Designed for couples...

there are also places with family onsens, numbers are probably small and you have to make a reservation and pay for a 2 hour slot to have the place to yourself. My family used one of these in Hokkaido before. This particular one even came with both outdoor and indoor bath. Me and my dad used the outdoor while the ladies used the indoor one.

for single travellers, my personal suggestion is to try out the ryokan's public bath(s). No one really pays any attention to others unless u got major tatoos on ur body....

 

[kifo]

I shall try to share some of my experiences of different onsens I have been to before briefly to help anyone who might be considering about going there.

Tokyo / Odaiba / Oedo Onsen Monogatari
This is more like a mini theme park with food and game stalls. The onsen itself is pretty authentic, with several huge indoor pools and a tiny outdoor rock pool. It is expensive compared to other onsens but you are paying for the theme park experience and the yukata which are given for you to wear inside the park.

Kyushu / Kurokawa
- Kurokawaso. Onsen ryokan with a daytime admission for guests. The ryokan is fantastic. The indoor onsen pool is pretty ordinary while the outdoor bath is a pretty huge one surrounded by beautifully landscaped trees and rocks.
- Yamamizuki. The outdoor pools here are next to the river and you can see the river flowing gently downstream as you relax in the bath. Really beautiful location but I find the outdoor pool rather small compared to the rest in Kurokawa.
- Nanjyouen. The outdoor pool here is like in a small clearing in the woods with several round rocks in the water. It felt very rustic.

Kyushu / Beppu / Takegawara
This is a public onsen in a very old and traditional Japanese building and you can really have an authentic experience here. The facilities might not match up to onsen hotels and ryokan standard but I recommend it for the experience. And you will really meet locals. The extra service here is that old aunties will bury you in hot sand bath in an small section within the bathing area.

Kyushu / Nagasaki Unzen Onsen / Kojigoku Onsen
This is really a gem of a bathhouse. The whole building is constructed in wood and the pool inside is full of traditional charm. I highly recommend this in onsen house.

Kyushu / Kagoshima Sakurajima / Furusato Onsen
This is a beautiful onsen just by the sea. You can climb up the rocks that separate the sea and the onsen pool. As this is a mixed bath, you are give a thin white cotton robe to wear. When I was there, there were a lot of local tourists too. Unfortunately, this onsen has been closed since 2012 as the hotel running it was bankrupt.

Kyushu / Yakushima / Hirauchi Onsen
This is another seaside onsen. Unfortunately, you can only bathe during high tide when the sea water mixes with the hot spring to cool it down. I wasn't able to try it as I didn't check the tides timing. Anyway this is really a mixed bath but you have to strip naked some distance away from the water and since there are no walls or anything, I hope you are proud of your own body.

Kyushu / Yakushima / Yudomari Onsen
This is further down from the Hirauchi. Likewise a seaside onsen but this one you don't have to wait for the tides. There are some bamboo partitions to provide some minimum privacy but some bravery is required. I found the water to be lukewarm when I was there in December.

I will continue with the rest of Japan later...

 

[agony2]

one good tip

dun soak up to your neck for too long, soaking in hot water like this will make your heart rate go up and for some it will result in blackouts...

breaks can be taken by going up to waist level

This is a good tip. Also, work your way up to the hottest temperature indoor. Then, go outdoor and do the same. When you can't take the temperature anymore, go back to the lower temperature and repear as many times as you want.

very shiok to do this for an hour. only applicable to big onsen or super sento.

 

[kifo]

Tokyo / Takao / Takao no Yu onsen
Near to Takao. This is a great onsen to go to after a hot day hiking around Mt. Takao. The indoor area is huge and I spent a long time relaxing in the various different pools. Take the shuttle bus from one of the bus stops outside the supermarket near the train station.

Kagawa / Naoshiima / Naoshima Sento
THis is not an onsen but a sento. But this is probably one of the most unique sento in the whole of Japan. The entire sento is an installation artwork by a famous Japanese contemporary artist Shinro Otake and there are many quirky artifacts inside the bath and the changing rooms. There is also a huge elephant above the pools. Best to go in the evening because of all the neon lighting.

Hyogo / Kinosaki Onsen
- Konoyu. Furthest from the train station. This public onsen has one of the best outdoor area among all the bath houses here. Worth visiting as the building is nice and pretty.
- Goshonoyu. This one has a really big entrance area like some old Japanese temple. The outdoor area is fantastic as it has a fake waterfall and different levels you can climb up to. The indoor pools are also interesting. Probably the best public onsen in Kinosaki?
- Ichinoyu
Large building just beside the main road. Compared to the 2 above, rather utilitarian and modern. Can skip if you have no time.

Hyogo / Arima Onsen / Gekkoen Yugetsusanso
Fantastic onsen hotel. It has access to the onsen baths of 2 hotels side by side - 3 outdoor pools and 2 indoor ones. One is just by the side of the river and the male outdoor pool can even been peeked at from the main lobby of Gekkoen. This is the pool for those exhibitionists! One of the outdoor pools and one of the indoor pool have the gold baths while the rest are all silver baths.

Kyoto / Ohara / Ohara no Sato onsen
This is a minshuku and the outdoor onsen is a big pot that can fit about 3 person max. A beautiful garden surrounds the big pot.

Nara / Totsukawa / Sansui Ryokan
Lovely indoor and outdoor onsen pool in the middle of the Kohechi Kodo. I think this is a nicer place to relax in the middle of the killer walk from Koyasan than the usual Subaru Hotel nearby.

Wakayama / Yunomine Onsen / Adumaya Ryokan
The famous old ryokan in Yunomine Onsen town. The indoor onsen bath here is pretty big and nice, while the outdoor pool is really too small. But the UNESCO rated onsen bath, Tsuboyu (which is really the size of a toilet cubicle) is just opposite the ryokan.

Wakayama / Nachikatsuura / Urashima Hotel
This is a famous hotel in Wakayama that is built on a small peninsula next to the sea. It is huge sprawling hotel and it has many (5or 6?) different wings which are evidently built in different eras. Every wing has their own onsen pools and they are all different. One of the challenges they have for all hotel guests is to visit all the different pools within their stay. The most spectacular pool is one which is build in a sea cave and you can watch sunrise from the pool.

Toyama / Gokayama / Kurobo Onsen
Built on the side of a dam lake, it has beautiful views of the surrounding hills from the outdoor pool. You need a car to get to this onsen, or ask if your accommodation can provide transport.

Gifu / Okuhida / Yarimikan Onsen Ryokan
This fantastic ryokan has several outdoor and indoor baths areas. Several of their onsen baths are in this garden by the river where you can wander about. There is one bath house where there is a wooden slide where you can slide into the pool (obviously targeted at the younger guests). One of the bigger outdoor pools is mixed gender and you can view the fantastic beauty of the river and the mountains that rises majestically from the opposite bank. I had one of my best outdoor winter experiences here soaking in a hot water while it was snowing heavily on my head.

Nagano / Shibu Onsen
There are 9 public onsens in this town, and most which are only accessible if you stay in one of the accommodations in the town (you will get a key to access all the doors to the onsens). It is fun wandering around the small narrow streets of the town trying to get to the next onsen. Most of the onsen baths are really tiny bath houses with only a pool and nothing else. And the water here is really crazy hot (44 plus deg in my estimation, add a bit of cold water if you cannot take it, but don't overdo it since it is a public bath). The fun here is really in going around the small quaint town hunting for the onsens than the tiny onsens themselves.

Nagano / Shichimi Onsen / Keizantei
A rather difficult to get to place. I got here by irregular public buses from Nagano, but check the bus schedule. The private onsen pool here is beautiful in autumn.

To be continued later...

 

[gundamhamtaro]

Feeling giddy due to soaking too long in onsen is normal, although not good since if you continue to stay inside you definitely will faint (maybe due to dehydration?). You need to estimate for yourself when to get out , if not used to it better dont stay inside for too long. And after getting out remember to drink lots of water to replenish yr body!!! Thats why all the onsens have a water cooler in the changing area.