Bathing in pulic baths and hot springs

TuskCracker said:

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I just read this, that mixed bathing is dieing out. Even the prime minister
has complained why. That young un-discplined people are destroying an age old Japanese tradtion.
Their seems to be gross, crude behaviour during mixed bathing. Mostly from guys under the age of 30. Even physical harrasment of women. Therefore mixed bathing is being stopped.

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Although this message is quite old, I really wanted to mention that this is absolutely not true. Not only there is never harrasment of women in mixed baths, but also those tend to become more popular lately. Especially since many onsen were caught adding products in their baths, people are searching more remote areas with more natural onsen. And there, you often can find mixed baths.

sanji

I live near tamatsukurionsen, a town famous for its dozens of onsens and mixed onsening is very popular there.

xerxes99 said:

I live near tamatsukurionsen, a town famous for its dozens of onsens and mixed onsening is very popular there.

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Where is this town located??
sanji

sanji said:

Where is this town located??
sanji

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In Shimane prefecture close to Matsue.

I went to 2 of the onsen at our Ryokan in Hakone.
It is a nice experience for sure! But I suppose it's not for everyone.

When I went with a friend (luckily I already knew what to do, but it was still my first time.) Sadly this onsen was not coed like many nowadays.

I think it depends on the place you go to as to what is allowed and not allowed. I went to an indoor and outdoor one, no towels allowed unless it was on your head. There was a woman in her late 20's, a woman in her 40's and another whom was probably 80, along with a very young child.
None of them looked at us oddly as if we had done something wrong, in fact they didn't seem to acknowledge us at all.

As I am Scandinavian so I am used to undress infront of others in order to take a shower after sports. I am even used to same sex saunas. So I am not shy at all. However, once I went to onsen in a small hotel and I experienced something strange. At first I was alone. After washing myself I lowered myself into the VERY hot tub. Then a Japanese man came in. When he lowered himself into the tub he said "atsui", I agreed "atsui". He then said "atsui" several times, and each time I agreed "atsui". Actually, I did not feel like talking at all, so I meerely stuck to repeating what he said. Finally I got up and left.


I think that he did not expect that a "gaijin" would be able to say much more than a few words and he was harmless, but the experience was strange - almost surreal.

Han Chan: haha, I think he was probably just mumbling to himself about how hot it was. Every time you move, it gets REALLY hot again.
One of the woman bathing at the same time as us, talked and made noises to herself A LOT.
I know I said to my friend several times "man... it's hot!"

hot springs etc

My father in law is from Matsumoto and we go there every time I'm in Japan. There is a 'family favourite' hot spring that we go to. Part, or some baths are indoors, and another part is outdoors. I've only been in Japan in the summer i.e. May to August so it's been hot. I imagine more benefit would be made by bathing in cold weather...ah, can imagine it now...
I have to say, despite being naked in front of other men after 25 years of showering after rugby playing and training, it was embarrassing to be naked in front of him in a little pond of water!!!
We also visited the Hotaka View Hotel which has hot springs too. Very nice. And another place near Hakone, I only went one time, that had nice outdoor hotsprings.
Yeah, altogether a nice experience. For those that haven't enjoyed the pleasure, there is only 1 'don't' among 'do's and don'ts' and that is don't get soap in the water.