Traditional-style Japanese spas and their inn show the essence of Japanese culture.

Japanese love bathing in hot springs, called onsen. It’s a traditional-style Japanese spa and means hot springs and surrounding inns (ryokan) with bathing facilities at the same time. Onsens help you relax and heal your body, and are said to have various medical effects.

This Spring I stayed at Iya Onsen in Shikoku. Pix are the breakfast and open-air onsen at the ryokan I stayed. pic.twitter.com/0OjFi1Wc1s

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2016年10月18日

 

And many of them have an outdoor bath. You can relax in the open air and may feel the oneness with the nature. From ancient times we have enjoyed hot springs in that way because Japan has many volcanoes, and so there have been may hot springs across the country.

The open-air bath (onsen) of the hotel we stayed at Cape Ashizuri offered splendid view of the Pacific Ocean. pic.twitter.com/sPPFFQPeMw

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2016年5月23日

Almost all Japanese like hot springs, especially roten-borus or outdoor hot springs. We enjoy nature deeply in them. pic.twitter.com/iNqrCVykNf

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2015年10月29日

 

Most spas are public baths and we bathe naked. When you enter the bath, usually you will see a washing area with stools and maybe a shower. Use the shower or the basins near the stools to wash yourself. When you are clean, you can go in and enjoy the splendid hot spring.

 

 

In onsen-ryokan (inn), you can find the essence of Japanese culture. You can enjoy Japan itself there; omotenashi (Japanese hospitality), Japanese food, its beautiful nature and its bathing style.

 

Dōgo Onsen has a history stretching back over 1,000 years. And Dogo Onsen Honkan (pix) is the symbol of it. pic.twitter.com/LbmPmbR39J

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2016年4月9日

Kusatsu Onsen is one of the most famous spa resorts. These are pix you can enjoy the atmosphere of onsen-town. pic.twitter.com/11kfXzlSFS

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2016年6月13日

 

Japanese bathroom has a separate area for washing. A family shares the same water in the bathtub, so we try to keep the bathtub water clean.

 

 

The bathroom of my house. It’s very ordinary one for Japanese modern house. We wash our body outside the tub and warm our body in the tub. pic.twitter.com/IluNdZAUZw

— Tokyonobo (@Tokyonobo) 2017年1月20日

 The bathroom is not only a place to clean our body, but also to restore our energy for the next day. Soaking in bathtub for minutes is so relaxing. Japanese style bathing facilitate blood circulation and metabolism.

 
I think for Japanese taking a bath at home means quasi experience of being in onsen. Therefor there's such kind of bathing powders. Why do people live longer in Japan? I think one of the secrets is in the way we take a bath, soaking in hot water for a while and relaxed!!