Onsen

Oh, you don't know Japanese? I learn this word from watching Japan Hour on Saturday evenings. Invariably every episode they would find an onsen, and go ahhhhhHHHHHH as they dipped themselves in it and then sat there soaking it up like it was the best thing in the world! But of course they were all modestly covered in their white towels.

Anyway, I was highly curious about this ahhhhhhHHHHHH factor, and was very much looking forward to the onsen i.e the spa experience in Japan. However, at the real onsen, you have no big white towels to wrap yourself in. And that was why too many people felt "too malu" to even want to try it, despite having already paid a bomb to go to the land of onsens, I mean, the land of the rising sun.

In Hokkaido, we stripped to nothing a total of three times, to try three different spas.

We first went to the Yunokawa Onsen, which according to my research, has a 360 history and it is the first and oldest onsen in the whole of Hokkaido to be opened. We took a tram (or streetcar) to the nearest station, and then walked to the onsen area using a map.

Taking the tram. And the three words on the tram says Yunokawa.Are we there yet?? No, not yet, don't jump in!Finally we're there! Lovely view of the sea!And there's the onsen hotel! If you're wondering where's the actual spa, here it is - see red arrow. Er... do be careful if you wish to poke your head out to look at the sea view while soaking. Don't stand up too high or everyone passing by on the road will get a free show!
From research: this hot spring is said to be good for those sensitive to cold temperatures, rheumatism, sprains, bruises, women's problems, stiff shoulders, back problems, nerve pain and gastroenteric disorders in addition to being able to soothe fatigue. Sounds as good as the Jordan river, where Naaman once, um... you know.

So how was my first experience? Giggles aside... there were already two or three ladies sitting in their birthday suits in the locker room when we entered. They took no notice of us, and I made a great effort not to gape. We rented the lockers for our handbags, took a basket each which were for our clothes, and started to um.. you know. And so, my very first time... I have to admit that it was hard to control the eyes, and also hard to control the giggles. Also, taking off took quite a long time... you first. Then me. Go on, you take that one off first. Meanwhile the other ladies were getting dressed.

Ok, everything's packed away nicely in the basket, and we took our soap and shampoo and little towel, and went into the next room -the hot springs was there - not the open air one but an enclosed one. And there was another lady in her birthday suit, sitting at the edge and looking meditative.

First, a quick shower and scrubbing so that we do not bring dirt into the pool, and then we dipped a toe in. Ooooh, hot HOT! How come those Japan Hour folk could go ahhhhHHHHHHHH? We went OWWW! Live scalding! (Now I can imagine the feelings of those delicious lobsters being thrown into boiling pot!) The meditating lady smiled and told us to turn on the cold tap at the side, and we managed to cool ourselves and tried again. This time, it was nearly an ahhhhhHHHHHH.

Not bad, not bad, but it would be better if it wasn't so hot. We were literally boiling ourselves. It was hard to stay dipped in for longer than two minutes at a time. After a half hour or so of going in and coming out and going in, we decided to go to the next onsen, the open one which the photo (with the red arrow) showed. Ahhhh, how about a soak with a view?

It was much more manageable and cooler, because the air was cooler. We could have stayed there longer, but we were a bit concerned about 'people on the road outside', and so we hurried indoors again. It has become ok for us to look at one another, but we were definitely not going to be free shows for outside folk, especially the pervert type who might peek!

I heard there were some mixed bathing onsens. Yeeeeks. No thanks. But a quiet, clean, exclusive one like this in Yunokawa... no problem at all. I loved it. And the cost inclusive a big towel for drying off - 500 yen.

After that, we skipped out of the onsen with all our aches temporarily gone. And it was no longer cold either - no need sweaters any more despite the strong chilly winds! Of course it only lasted a short while, and next day, we took the train out of Hakodate for our second onsen experience. That one, including train ride, cost 1500 yen, and it was worthwhile too!