Bathing in the bathhouse - Onsen or Sento? How does it work in Japan?
Are loved even more in Japan than in Germany: rules.
At the latest since the success of the anime "Chihiro's Journey to Wonderland" or the pictures of monkeys bathing in hot springs, Japan is known to most for its hot springs. While small accommodations with their own hot springs and luxury hotels with SPA areas are becoming more and more popular, the simple bath houses seem to be forgotten. However, just visiting a public bathhouse is a very special experience and a great way to immerse yourself in Japanese everyday life (hehe!). In this article, we'll show you what to look for during your visit and what's so special about it.
How do I recognize a bathhouse?
Onsen, Sento or Yu? How do I recognize a bathhouse?
A typical entrance to a bathhouse in Tokyo.
The characters 湯 and ゆ are recognizable. You have found a bathhouse.
Strictly speaking, onsen (温泉) refers to a natural hot spring, while sento (銭湯) is the word for bathhouse. However, bathhouses are often referred to as onsen, even if they heat the water artificially. The best clue that it is a public bathhouse: A usually blue curtain in the entrance with the character 湯 or ゆ on it. Both signs stand for "yu," which means "hot water." When I travel in Japan, I already keep my eyes open for the blue curtains on the way to my accommodation. If I haven't found a yu on my way, I simply search for "onsen" or "sento" near me by smartphone. If the name of the displayed result ends in "yu" it is a bathhouse. Before you head off to the Sento right away, you should pack a few utensils beforehand. Perfect would be a big towel, a washcloth and if necessary a toothbrush and toothpaste. If you don't have these things with you, you can usually borrow or buy them on site for a fee. Shower bath and shampoo are available free of charge in the bathhouses.
Opening hours, entrance and payment
Just don't forget to take off your shoes!**
There is always an older woman at the counter.
The majority of bathhouses open in the afternoon and stay open until late at night. This is because most of the customers are students, workers and some elderly people. Once you have found an open Sento and dived under the curtain, you should notice the large cabinet with many compartments. Pick a compartment and put your street shoes in there. Don't forget to remove the key and you can pass the (sliding) door. Here you have to be careful to take the right door: one is for men and one for women, because bathhouses are always separated by gender. The sign for man is 男 and usually written in blue - the one for women 女 in pink. Otherwise, the baths of men and women do not differ.
After you pass the (hopefully correct) door, you will see the older woman at the counter. In my experience, it is only older women who run the Sento. If there is also a vending machine, you pay at the machine and get a ticket. Depending on whether you still need towels, etc., you must then press the appropriate button on the machine. If you get stuck here, the staff will definitely help you. But don't be surprised if the tone is a bit rough. Because the Sento is open until late at night, it attracts interesting characters. The staff has experienced quite a bit. So please be a little forgiving if you don't experience the exuberant Japanese friendliness here. You show the ticket to the woman at the counter. She will then give you a (further) key for your locker and if necessary a towel. You may now pass.
In the bathhouse is before bathing
Although this scene is from the beginning of the 20th century, but much has not changed to today ***.
Now it can finally start. Clothes off, into the closet and into the hot water. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. You must have noticed the long row of places with mirrors, faucets and shower heads? That's exactly the kind of place you need to get to before you get into the hot bath. Usually, there are already plastic stools at each place or some are stacked in a corner. Take a stool and look for a free place. Where to put the towel? At the edge or on top of the seats are usually baskets. There you can put your towel and other utensils. Now clean yourself thoroughly from head to toe. The Japanese like to see you do this several times. And even if you don't see anyone deliberately staring at you, you can be sure: in this crucial phase you are being watched. After washing, rinse the stool yourself and put it back. If you are now absolutely flawless and have really rinsed every trace of soap from your body, you can get into the hot water.
You will quickly notice: the tension of your trip, the stress with the rules of conduct and what else keeps you busy - everything slowly fades away while relaxing in the hot water. Look around you. People from all walks of life, from young to old, are relaxing with you. If you are in a bath that allows people with tattoos to enter, you may even see yakuza. Especially in places like Kobe, Osaka or Kyoto, the chance of meeting yakuza is high. Of course, they are people like anyone else and can actually only be recognized by their tattoos. On the large wall at the end of the bathhouse, there is usually a picture of Mount Fuji artfully painted. There is a separate profession for this in Japan. Meanwhile, however, there are unfortunately only three such painters. Many bathhouses are losing more and more of their clientele and can no longer afford the painting. In the past, bathhouses had a much higher importance, because hardly anyone had his own bathroom at home. Nowadays it is different. So now in some Sento you can see posters instead of paintings.
How hot is the water? It varies from sento to sento and from onsen to onsen. Mostly it is between 37° and 43°. Everyone feels the temperature a little differently, but from 41° it can start to tingle on the skin. I was once in a Sento in Osaka, whose bath had 43° degrees. For those who had just come out of the water, you could see exactly the water line on the skin: below the line cancer red and above it chalky pale.
The conversation at Sento
There are no communication problems in Nagano.****
Apart from the occasional "Aaaahhhh" or "Uuuuhhhh", you won't hear much from the other visitors in the Sento. Occasionally, however, someone will muster up all their courage and speak to you. This can happen in English as well as in Japanese. The first time I was approached was at a bathhouse in Nara while I was staring at the woods outside. At the time, however, I didn't know a word of Japanese and my counterpart (rather beside me) didn't know a word of English. So the conversation was over quickly and we sat silently next to each other.
Another time I was with several friends in an onsen in Matsuyama on Shikoku. A Japanese man spoke to us in English and was very excited to meet Europeans in his favorite bath. So excited, in fact, that he told us off with the words "So handsome! Hollywood star!" he introduced us to his friends directly in the onsen. Buck naked, the bewildered Japanese felt compelled to shake our hands. We must have looked pretty confused at that, too. It was an absurd situation, but one of those things that you never forget. If you already have social phobias, you can relax. In 95% of the cases, no one will talk to you. Reports that Japanese even leave the bath as soon as you get into the bath as a foreigner, I can not confirm at all. In my numerous visits to various baths, I never had the feeling of not being welcome. Of course, if you go into such a situation with certain prejudices, you may see exactly what you want to see.
After bathing
Once you are warmed up and relaxed, you need to dry off well before going back into the locker room. You can usually put the wet towels etc. in a laundry basket in front of the exit. If you have been given a washcloth, take it with you. The logo of the bathhouse is printed on it, so it makes a great souvenir. On the way out, a short "Arigatou" (Thank you) or "Arigatou gozaimashita" (Thank you for everything.) addressed to the receptionist is always good. Politeness is very much appreciated, as it is everywhere in Japan. Finally, a tip for health: there are often vending machines at the entrance. Even if you have only relaxed in the water, the body has lost fluid due to the very high water temperature. A cool drink is now just the right thing and saves you from dizziness and headaches!
Conclusion
A visit to a bathhouse is still commonplace for some Japanese - but for us as Europeans it is a very special experience. From students to yakuza bosses, you can meet Japanese from all walks of life. In addition, a cheap way to escape the stress of travel for once. Do yourself and the Sento struggling to survive a favor and take advantage of the bathhouses once you're in Japan. You won't regret it, guaranteed.
Image sources:
* This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from user Chris 73 and is freely available at //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TsubameYuOnsenEntrance.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 3.0 License.
** Sodai Gomo on Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/49774228@N00/28684857190 This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
*** The female room of a public bath-house in Tokyo, Japan.Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
**** Image by julienlstark (Pixabay): https://pixabay.com/de/photos/nagano-affe-onsen-japan-3068677/