Onsen – An Introduction to Japanese Hot Springs

Onsen hot springs offer an unbeatable 2-for-1 bargain–the opportunity to experience a unique piece of Japanese culture while relaxing in immense style and comfort. This article will provide a brief overview of onsen, their history, and a few points to be mindful of when visiting.

You’ve Never Been in a Hot Tub Like This Before

Put simply, onsen are shared bathing facilities fed by natural spring water. Onsen water is packed with natural minerals–including sulfur, hydrogen carbonate, and iron, among others–that can drastically alter its feel and scent. The effect of these minerals paired with hot water bathing is lauded for its health benefits, such as improved circulation and skin health.

Depending on where you visit, your bathing experience can vary wildly. For instance, traditional onsen pride themselves on maintaining their historical architecture and atmosphere while offering a relatively simple bathing experience with hot and cold baths. Meanwhile, other onsen strive to be as fully featured as possible, adding scented baths, utase-yu waterfall baths, roten-buro outdoor baths, saunas, and so on. Finally, larger super-sento spas, while not technically onsen, offer other services like massages and ganban’yoku rock spas in addition to all the baths offered at onsen.

With its abundance of volcanoes, Japan is home to thousands of onsen. Many local economies are supported by onsen tourism, as onsen-gai hot spring resort towns, with some famous examples being Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture and Beppu in eastern Kyushu’s Oita Prefecture. For those interested in trying all manner of onsen, why not visit an onsen-gai?

Steaming with History, Boiling with Tradition

The history of onsen stretches back as far as the Asuka period (538-710), with records indicating that the imperial family regularly visited some of Japan’s oldest onsen. It’s said that onsen were initially treated as holy sites and used in spiritual rituals. Many myths concerning onsen involve two deities, Okuninushi and Sukunabikona, who are thought of as gods of onsen.

In the Kamakura period (1185–1333), however, onsen began to be used for medical purposes. Records suggest that warriors wounded in the Mongol invasions of the 13th century convalesced at onsen. Such use continued throughout the Sengoku period (1457-1603) and Edo period (1603-1868), and eventually, people from all walks of life began to partake in onsen bathing.

With the dawn of the modern age, advancing technology enabled the creation of even more onsen across the country. By the first half of the 20th century, onsen bathing came to be appreciated as the leisure activity it’s known as today.

With such rich history and mythology behind them, onsen offer visitors a relaxing way to soak in the past. Their tranquil atmosphere and soothing qualities harmonize with the traditional beauty of their architecture to excite the imagination of any guest.

Things to be Careful of

As a final note, we’d like to offer a few pieces of advice for visiting onsen.

Make sure to thoroughly wash your body at one of the shower stations before entering the bath.
Bring your own towels. Most onsen will charge you around 500 yen to rent towels.
Many onsen and public baths do not service customers with tattoos, due to a historical association with organized crime. There are exceptions though, and some locations will allow customers to enter if they cover up their tattoos with a patch.
Sit on your hand towel when using the sauna.
Don’t dive or jump into the bath.
Many onsen and super-sento are attached to a traditional Japanese ryokan inn or a modern hotel. Such facilities allow customers to book rooms attached to private onsen.
For intersex and non-binary individuals, we recommend booking a private onsen at a hotel or ryokan, as public baths are often divided into male and female sections.
Most onsen and super-sento require guests to strip fully nude when entering the bath. This may be a barrier to entry for some guests depending on their native culture.

A trip to the nearest onsen is the cherry on top of any Japan trip worth its salt. There really is no better way to take a load off than by taking a dip in the ancient waters of one of Japan’s storied onsen. Enjoy!

All images not owned by WaWo Japan Travel were obtained from the following sources:

★ Beppu City

[https://beppu-tourism.com/]

★ Fukuoka Prefecture Kanko Domei

[https://www.crossroadfukuoka.jp/]

★ Saga Prefecture Kanko Domei

[https://www.asobo-saga.jp/business/about/]

★The British Museum

[https://www.britishmuseum.org/]

★Dogo Onsen

[https://dogo.jp/]

Please hover over photos for specific credits.