To keep the bathroom (or bathing area if it's a public bath) clean, the rule is that all you are allowed to bring in is your natural self, a towel, and any cleaning products you require (shampoo and soap are usually provided). No shoes, no clothes. Going in butt naked might feel awkward if you were not exposed to nudity growing up, but give it a shot. It actually becomes quite natural when everybody else is naked. The baths are almost always gender separated.
I have only been a few times, but it got me wondering whether Japanese girls are as self-conscious about their bodies as young American girls are. Seeing women of all ages interact in the most natural way in the nude makes one come to terms about not being a super model, or being a mother, or aging. Being a normal woman becomes, well, completely normal.
What to expect at a public bath or an onsen
Onsens are public baths where the hot water comes from a natural hot spring. I can only relate my experience of one (rather fancy one), but I am guessing it is probably pretty standard so hopefully this is useful. Also, this is for women, the men version is probably a simplified version (I'm guessing). The public bath is a good place to practice your "observe and imitate" skills.
When you arrive, you are given a small towel, a big towel, and a locker key. When you go in, you find small lockers to leave your shoes in. And then larger lockers to put your clothes and belongings in. There are stations with blow dryers, and other toiletries that you can use to remove your makeup before the bath and for drying and grooming afterwards.
Take off all your clothes and wrap yourself in the big towel. If you are brave, you can leave the big towel in the locker and use the small towel to hide the front. That's what most Japanese do. They like to keep the big towel dry for drying after the bath. But you can take it with you into the bathing area. You can find places to leave it where it won't get wet.
Go into the bathing area. You will see a nice, inviting hot water bath. Resist the urge to jump in. Instead, look around and you will see showering stations with little stools and buckets. Start there. Find a place to leave your big towel and take your small towel with you. That one is meant to get wet and has multiple purposes. Wash yourself thoroughly, then get into the hot bath. It's OK and common to bring the small towel into the hot bath. From there it's a straight shot to heaven.
So what do you use the small towel for?
1) to preserve a shred of modesty
2) you wet it with cold water, fold it up and place it on top of your head. That looks funny, but everyone does it. It keeps the head cool, helping you not get too warm in the hot water (which is typically a little above 40 degrees celsius, that is 10 degrees farenheit above body temperature). By the way, if you start feeling too warm, get at least partly out of the water. And don't soak for too long.
3) Alternatively, you wrap it around your head, I guess to act as a hair net. I have done something completely illegal and applied deep conditioning to my hair and then wrapped it in the towel before going in the hot bath. The hair comes out all silky afterwards. That's probably OK to do, as long as you keep the head and the towel out of the water.
4) you use it to dab yourself dry at the end so you don't get back into the locker room dripping wet (that is if you did the gutsy thing and left your big towel in your locker).
When you are done soaking, your can rinse yourself if you like, dry yourself, then go back into the locker room. There are places to leave the wet towels when you are done. Return your locker keys on your way out.
(Semi) private baths
My only experience here is that of a common bath at a hostel. The rules are similar, except the hot bath is a big, square bathtub instead of a pool. If you are there alone, you will have to take off a panel or two that is layed on top of the tub to keep the water hot. Only one hot bath is drawn for the evening, so you have to mind 1) keeping it clean and 2) keeping it hot. That means evidently that you need to wash yourself thoroughly before going in and that you only uncover the water for the amount of space and time that you need.
OK, so this is where we get to the hot bath etiquette.
Big don'ts
1) Go into the changing room with shoes on. Obviously, going into the bathing area with shoes on is even worse.
2) Go in with a swimsuit on or even worse, underwear. I saw someone get into the bath with her underwear on and you would not believe the thoughts that go through one's mind at that point. It's not pleasant. No-one said anything, but I am sure the Japanese were fighting the urge to get out of the bath quick. If you can't deal with nudity, then skip the Japanese baths.3) Go into the water without having washed first.
4) Get caught wearing deep-conditioner while in the bath
No comments:
Post a Comment