Rub-a-Dub-Dubb!

So I know I already did a little post on onsens, but last night was my first bath house experience.

Bath houses are different from onsens in that there is no natural spring water at a bath house. Onsens thrive off of their projected image that it is a very natural bath and that you are bathing in the earth's very own water pools. However bathhouses on the other hand  are just that, a bathhouse. Sometimes they will have saunas too, and typically more than one type of bath, as they normally have to offer more than you can do at your own home so that they maintain a draw for people to come to the bathhouse.
It is not that I haven't gone for any particular reason. It is just cold out, I have to ride my bike there, it is mostly old biddies, I would get stared at, I have to pay to bath where I have a nice bath at home, I have to bring all my toiletries. I mean there is a whole list of little things always holding me back.
Well last night I decided it was sauna time. And where best to go to a sauna, but a nice bath house.
When I got to the bath house, I could tell immediately it was very old lady-ish/man-ish. Basically the style was pretty outdated and only biddies were the occupants on my side. What makes it outdated? Well the floor was tatami, which in itself is not really enough to make it outdated, after all my new apartment has a room with a tatami floor. But the making up mirror, was lacking in space and efficiency. The hair dryer was from the 60's, all the room decor seemed from around the same era. It was just all plastic and cheap looking and perfect. I mean I am not looking for any fancy place like those marble floored jimjilbangs in Korea. Though I sincerely love those places. Best bathhouses ever. But this place had a real Termae Romae feeling. If you have no seen that movie, put it on you list. Highly amusing. Basically, I was in the exact same situation, a young gaijin in a fairly outdated in function and patronage environment looking to take a bath. I even heard one of the biddies mention that name under giggles as she directed me about the room grabbing baskets for my clothes and toiletries and what not. I think she actually enjoyed herself.

So step one as always was to get naked. Check.
Proceed to baths and hose off and enter sauna.
Recently I read something interesting on the effects the saunas on skin and I was interested in trying it out. Pretty much you wash, but with only water, you enter the sauna and stay for 10 minutes and then you exit and pour cold water over your body starting with the extremities and working inwards. Basically toes to thighs, fingers to pits, and head and then back. You don't want to pour the cold water directly over your heart to start but cool the blood down from the farthest point and work inwards are the blood is pumped back to the heart. Once you have cooled yourself thoroughly, and I do mean thoroughly, you once again enter back into the sauna for another 10 minutes. and repeat a few times.

This bath house in particular I am fond of, even though I had never been before, on the outside of their doors, they would always list the bath of the day. And I just think it is pretty neat that they change the flavors every day or so. Last nights stew was blueberry. It was a violent shade of  violet, the kind where your skin looks a healthy shade of magenta when you look at it from above the water. So after my final sauna repetition, I showered off my sweat and entered into the blueberry bath. Now that is not something you type everyday. It's smell was a bit off from blueberries, but I suppose it was close enough. And just so you know, when they say blueberry bath, they don't mean real blue berries. It is likely a packet or mixture for the stew that they pour in there to simulate the effects and color of blue berries. Come on. It can't be real blue berries. It was only 300yen to get in. Now Ryokans, I am pretty sure some of them will have real flowers, teas, or yuzu floating around in their baths, but then again you pay more like 15000yen to get in to one of those if not more.

But the blueberry bath was actually not what was most special, it is only what I thought would be most special. What was most interesting was the electrocution bath next to it. You think I'm joking don't you?I was chilling in the blueberry stew and as I usually do, I test the water of the bath next to mine. I like to plan and test things in preparation for the next stew I would like to get into. Immediately upon placing my fingertips in the water, I felt this buzzing sensation. Like when you go to some sciencey store that is geared towards kids and they have that big electric glass ball where if you keep your hands on it for long enough your hair will stand on end.I probed further. and put up to my wrist in. I felt this jerking sensation. I pulled my hand out. Nothing. Back in the blueberry bath. Nothing. Back into the neighboring pool. Electrifying. Ok interest piqued. Yeah it doesn't take much. Just something mildly dangerous. So I get out. Unsure of the protocol, I use cold water to rid myself of the blueberry dashi so I don't contaminate the next pool, meanwhile cooling myself down. I make my way back to the electrocution pool. I sit at the edge and ease my toes into it. Not so bad. I go to my knee. My leg starts compulsively jerking around in the water. My whole body is shaking with the reaction. I am still in control of my body and senses. It is not like I am really being electrocuted, just merely like someone hooked up some electrodes to my knee and set them to high. I get curious about my thighs. There are not reflex point there. I slip the one leg in further. And tense. The current still has my leg shaking but to a much lesser degree. Now it is like a first date leg jitters and I discover is I put more concentration into maintaining the stillness of my leg, it still less and I am effected less. Let me give you more of an explanation of the currents effect on my leg. When applied to my calf, the current makes it spasm in rhythm to its pulses which are often and frequent. Maybe less than a second apart. This current at that location feels like I could easily be cramping up soon and have the worst charlie horse of my life. So what do I do, of course? Go in further. Duh, no brainer. I get brave and put both legs in and watch them spasm uncontrollably a bit longer before I decide to ease myself in more. I touch bottom. I am standing towards the side where the currents have less power. I slowly make my way between the fields. And pain. Such bright hot pain. I have not ever really felt that way before. Vision going hazy just a bit. My back, which has been hurting for a while is not actually spasming, but something inside is highly displeased with my action. Vision regained, I most back to the side. Think about it and try my other side. Fine. Until that one location on my right side. So either there is an organ there that dislikes what I do to it or that part of my back is a lot more distressed than I thought. Meanwhile. I am standing nearly wholely between the two fields. It makes my stomach feel a little funny. So I stand still and lean against one of the walls of the bath with my arms outside and my body standing inside. I was admiring how if I merely slip my elbow into just a bit of the water my arm will go haywire. Flopping all around. I must have seemed like such a child to the biddies there, who were doing their best to ignore my antics. Of course when my elbow was not in the water, my arm would still involuntary jerk a bit. It was a bit grotesque to see the skin jumping back and forth as it is strained and relaxed, my whole arm slightly twitching because the rest of my body is in the pool. I experiment further. I sink a bit. My shoulders are in the water. Shoulders are always a weak point. My heart is submerged. I can feel it start to speed up. Like I am having a serious adrenaline rush. And then decide that this bath is certainly not for the elderly. I notice an underwater tiled bench and think who is crazy enough to even try to relax in this bath. The current is way too high to attempt sitting. I rise up deciding that for my first time, heart submerging is not the best idea and reemerge a bit. I only decide to stay in a bit longer before making my way out  and to go into the final bath. A normal hot water bath. Normalcy. After removing myself from it. I feel light headed. Very much so. Hazy vision again. I closed my eyes and regained balance and composure. I can't have these biddies laughing at me for falling on the floor now. So note to self. Upon exiting that bath. Exit slowly. And don't faint. That would be embarrassing. And I have had quite enough of that.
So besides the electrocution bath, the only other baths were a very normal bath with normal hot water and the cold bath where I had been splashing myself with cold water and cooling down. Nicely normal. Apart from the baths and the sauna, the walls are lined with faucets and shower heads for washing up. I finish up, shower, and leave.

Back to the changing room, there is a short row of sinks for face washing and teeth brushing and whatever else you felt too uncomfortable to do in the bath. Drying, and dressing, I participate in the all too typical after sauna and bath affair of drinking a nice cold glass of milk coffee out of the fridge. Most every place will have a fridge full of beverages for whatever you desire(beer, milk, cider, soda, coffee, juice), they also might have hard boiled eggs. For whatever reason, hard boiled eggs are commonly found and eaten at these places. Hair dryers are also found at these places, and the nicer places, these will be free, but at this one it was all of 10 yen per minute. Not bad.
Now for the bike ride home with the new falling snow. Best thing about these places is they make you nice and warm for hours to come.
Needless to say, I'm going back next week.


THERMAE ROMAE trailer with English Subtitles

Onsen: A guide to the Japanese Hot Springs

In Japan hot springs are referred to as onsens and are extremely different from the jimjilbangs I once wrote about in Korea.
Onsens are naturally occurring springs of boiling water throughout Japan. And what better to do in these naturally occurring hot pockets but bathe!

I always found onsens intriguing ever since I saw Spirited Away, the Miyazaki film set at an onsen (which in real life took inspiration from the pictures below, Dogo Onsen, out in Matsueyama - for anyone looking for some travels!)

These hot springs are formed largely from the effect of Japans volcanic activity. Japan has many great features about it, such as there are a surprising number of freshwater rivers and pools throughout the island, as well as fresh water that pools beneath Japan, it has lots of seismic activity dude to the flirtations of those tectonic plates, and of course it is a volcanic island. It is due to this volcanic activity and the underground pools that enable these hot springs to form. That being said, they are not everywhere, but certainly more than I can count in a fair number of places. But seemingly larger cities like Kyoto and Osaka their number seem to dwindle ( I think I only know of one between the two, and it couldn't attest to its magnificence). Rather you had best go to a hot spring town that is known for the onsens. Occasionally, it is even in the name like Kinosaki Onsen.
Personally, I would say I have been to a fair number of onsens, but I would also tell you not enough. But from what I have been to I can tell you these there is a very typical sense to them. Often a few pools and showers of course. And if you are lucky there are also an outdoor set of pools as well. The water temperature typically varies between bath to bath, such that the people who just cannot take the heat, can simply switch to a cooler bath. When I say cooler, in reality I don't believe many baths are ever below 40 Celsius. The baths come in many different styles; some with stone basins or wooden ones, ones where you sit or lie down and let the water run over you, ones with jets to massage you and ones to simple relax in, there are simple foot baths and saunas that use the onsen water for the air vapor. So you know...many. I am a big fan of outdoor baths. Ones where you can feel the wind on your skin to cool you down from the headiness that comes over you are you soak. There is no need to worry about the outdoors part. You are in an enclosed area at all times with walls a few meters high so no peering eyes can find you. Occasionally, the more well done ones will have scenery, a direct and steep mountain side from which the water flows down and into the pool, or even an ocean that is seen through bamboo blinds.
The water of many onsens is especially high in minerals and thought to be good for health and skin. Once at an onsen out in Nagano, the mineral content was just right to tarnish my silver ring in seconds. Where as another out on Iojima island, I swear polished it to a shine such as I have never before seen. Onsens will often boast of their unique mineral content saying how it is good for one thing or another and how you will get less colds and your skin will glow.
Onsens have often been seen as a place to relax and often a place to take a company relaxation trip in Japan. Onsens help to break down the barriers around people (pretty litterally here) and help in communications. It is like a get to know you or a get to know you better, if you will and tends to bring people closer together creating the bonds that companies and clients desire in one another before doing business. Of course it is not just for companies, but perhaps new friends will go together or a mother and her soon to be daughter in law. Or any number of people.
But one cannot just hop into the bath!
First thing is first, you have to get naked. So shuck off those embarrassments and reserves you have about your body and get going. I remember one friend once asking me if you can wear a swim suit, and no, you really can't. There is actually a reason for that. You see, people with tattoos are not allowed inside public baths and onsens. The reason for this? It is because of the yakuza. You see, they cannot outright ban yakuza members from entering, they will just deny being yakuza. So they ban anyone with a tattoo, and as a large number of yakuza have tattoos, they cannot enter. However this method prevents everyone with a tattoo from entering so as to be unbiased and fair. And that ladies and gentlemen, is why you cannot wear swim suits. Though in mixed baths and larger public baths it is entirely acceptable and likely enforced, especially with mixed genders. But those are fairly uncommon. In Korea, I once saw a gal with a swimsuit on and she got a bit of the awkward indirect stare down. I suppose she just felt awkward either being the only one in a swim suit, while old fat wrinkly ajoomas walked around freely or she got the full heat of the silent judging glances. Either way she removed her swim suit in the middle of her shower joining the rest of us in nakedness. And now, with that out of the way...
You have to bathe first! Weird right? You have to bath before getting into a bath. You see, they do not want your body juices floating around the pool and your sweat mucking up everything and getting other people dirty. It will also possibly set the water concentration off a bit. And due to that, and the fact that it is just gross, you take a shower first. There are always showers in every onsen, the vast majority of which also provide shampoo and soap and even 'rinse' if you are lucky (how Japanese call conditioner, but I will swear up and down that it is entirely different from American conditioner). Traditionally, they would fill bowls of water and wash them selves with it and pour water on themselves from it when needed and refilling it as necessary. Now there is generally a shower head and a faucet with bowls so as you can choose whichever you desire. And of course you sit on one of their stools during the process. This is not typically a standing process unless the place is extremely modern. As far as washing goes, you must take note to wash extra thoroughly. No one will be watching you, oh but they will! No one will look at you or pay much attention to you, the whole Japanese eye aversion thing, but they will know for how long you rinsed and how thorough you were. And be certain to wash all of the soap from you body before entering the pools. It is quite uncouth to do otherwise.
You may now enter the pools.
Huzzah! As far as the pools go, you can switch between them as you please, but I wouldn't stay in one too long! These is a lot of dizziness to account for upon standing up, especially from the hotter pools. As far as the length of time for which to stay in each pool, I suppose that is pretty much up to you. I think people will notice if you butterfly about and go from pool to pool minute to minute. This is a relaxing thing. Take your time. And make sure you plan time in your schedule for it to be relaxing. I am not saying don't try each pool, just to enjoy them before you leave them. But by all means if it is not the right fit and you are uncomfortable, no one can hardly blame you for that! I know just recently I went into a 90 Celsius sauna at the hot spring and stayed 3-4 minutes and that was quite enough! It is also important to have some cold water now and again. Sometimes they offer a cold water pool or basin in where you can either dip yourself or splash water on yourself to cool you down; or, most of these places will offer a cold water fountain just outside and disposable cups to drink from.

This is brought on by my recent trip to Nagasaki and my subsequent search for an onsen. I found one. Out at Iojima. And for any curious eyes who want to see it before they try it, I stole a few pictures of inside the onsen. No, no one is in them silly!

The most awesome onsen I went to? There is a mud onsen to the north of Nagano which was extraordinarily awesome. The mud is not thick like you might think, more that the hot spring formed in well and muddied land turning the water a orangey-red and making visibility next to nil beyond a few centimeters.

Tat Tat Tat it up

Here is something that pertains exactly not at all to myself, and yet still manages to infuriate me.
Tattoos.

I am not going to say I am for or against them because personally I don't really care. But what I can't stand is the blatant racism towards people that have them. Recently in Japan, a man employed by the city of Osaka showed his tattoo to a child. What the tattoo was, they never said, but what entailed...After hearing of this story, the Osaka mayor demanded to know who on his force, employed by the government anywhere, in any position in Osaka, who had body ink. Now this already infringes upon the rights of people. And to take it a step further the Osaka city mayor, Toru Hashimoto, just said they may as well quit now. It is currently implied that he is looking fire anyone with a tattoo, but of course there is a certain legal battle. How will he get his workers to survey as to whether they have tattoos or not? He is holding promotion above their heads. He states that anyone who fails to answer the survey will be withheld from all promotion possibilities.
Toru Hashimoto is probably the most active politician in Japan and does do some decent things for Osaka, and then apparently some radical things: tattoos, ending relations with the red cross which provides much of the disaster relief to many victims, such as for Fukushima last March. And additionally he is an advocate of dismantling the Tokyo government. He feels it holds too much power and that to dismantle it and start afresh would be in its best interest as it can't but last another 3-5 year (quote).

So what is next?
They have now put forth a motion where any teachers in the employment of Osaka government will have to answer if they have tattoos or not. Remember this does not affect me or my job. I am tattoo free. But the blatant criminalization for freedom of expression is so overwhelming that one cannot help but to be infuriated with the closed-mindedness of the Osaka government. The movement for teacher is luckily facing a lot of opposition from the board for good reason and is in an unpassing stalemate currently.

Tattoos have long been a source of stereotypes and even fear in Japan, as they have long been related to the yakuza, the gang population in Japan. I can't tell you much about gang related tattoos other than that apparently they exist. The situation is probably highly similar to tattoos in the American gang scenarios. Regardless, the yakuza inspire fear in much of the Japan population. And seeing tattoos only increases the knowledge of the person, the affiliation and that fear. And the best way to see tattoos? Get naked. No really. As people began to take notice of these tattoos at public bath houses and onsens, their clientele began to express their worries and take their patronage elsewhere. Action was taken, a rarity for Japan. The public naked places put a ban on anyone entering with tattoos. This means regular Joe with a MOM tattoo can't go either. Why? Because they had to make it fair. They cannot just ban the yakuza that is illegal and infringing upon rights, so they had to make it everybody to be politically correct. At least they got that bit right.

The above is an example of some Japanese yakuza body art. There isn't necessarily one image they stick to but more over a style of images.

AN UPDATE!
So 6 people who admitted that they had tattoos on the survey were recently fired from their positions.