Thermal springs for your aches & pains (Part 2)
Thermal springs for your aches & pains (Part 2)
Discovering the healing powers of Japan's Onsen villages: Tips on the process and a sample itinerary.
Before diving into today's newsletter, I have an exciting announcement! In honor of Mother's Day, I am offering a special 20% discount until Monday (5/15) on a 1-year paid subscription plan! Paid subscribers will have full access to all of my newsletter archives, as well as my paid newsletters, which provide a more in-depth exploration of nature's medicines. This offer is also an excellent opportunity to purchase a gift subscription for mothers, caregivers, or friends you think may be interested in my content!
Earlier this week I wrote about the healing waters of traditional Japanese onsen (thermal water bathing facilities). Here, I elaborate on my experience and provide tips on how you can either enjoy a similar experience at home or on a future visit to Japan.
An Insider’s View
Picture this: You are naked, floating in a hot water pool. Steam hangs above the surface of the waterline like a blanket of fog that moves with you. A waterfall cascades down a mountain, the cool water splashing against smooth black rocks covered in rich green moss, just feet from your soaking spot. Gazing skyward, you note the fan-like leaves of an ancient ginkgo tree swaying in the wind. The long skinny leaves of a water-loving willow also wave, almost like sending a greeting from one tree to another.
You are not alone; others sit in the hot water nearby or rotate in spots perched upon a rock in the cool air to lower their body temperature before returning to the pool. It is quiet, though, everyone deep in thought and inner reflection as they gaze at the waterfall, their muscles slowly relaxing under the lull of the heat.
It is a unifying experience to relax and heal together. I was so fortunate to experience this very scene just days ago. But there are also important rules to follow when enjoying an onsen. I summarize the highlights here.
Onsen Etiquette
There are several rules to follow when visiting an onsen:
Attire
You can arrive at an onsen in regular street clothes, though if you can use a yukata (traditional robe, belt, and jacket set), I recommend that. Many traditional inns and hotels in onsen towns provide a yukata, split-toe socks, and wooden sandals to guests free of charge as part of your stay. The comfortable yukata robes are wrapped around your body, held in place with a belt, and topped off with a light jacket. These are great, especially if you are onsen-hopping, trying different public baths on the same day. Here’s a guide on how to wear a Yukata.
Shoes
Flipflops or traditional sandals are great for onsen visits. You will see a row of lockers with keys when you arrive at the facility entrance. Take your shoes off before approaching the elevated platform with the lockers and put your shoes inside before entering the main lobby.
Gender
While historically, traditional onsen allowed for mixed-gender bathing, since Japan opened to the West, this is generally prohibited. Bathing is done in the nude, in separate parts of the facility based on gender, with swimsuits prohibited. Look out for blue cloth doorway signs for men and red signs for women. Young children may enter either side. If you are a mixed-gender group that wishes to experience an onsen together, look for hotels that offer private onsen rental times.
The changing room
There are separate changing rooms for each gender and separate bathing areas. When you enter the changing room, find a locker in which to place your personal items. Do not use a cell phone in this room. Having any devices with cameras in this area or in the baths is prohibited. Remove all of your clothes and leave them in the locker. It is recommended to bring two towels: a larger body towel and a smaller hand towel. Leave the large towel in the locker and bring the small one with you.
The bathing room
Before entering the thermal bathing pools, you must take a vigorous shower with soap for your body and hair. Stations are set up along the walls with short stools to sit on in front of a mirror. A small bowl is present to dump larger quantities of water on your body when wetting or rinsing, and there are usually hand-held spray nozzles to use while bathing. Soap and shampoo are provided. Wash and rinse well before proceeding to the hot spring baths. Some people also brush their teeth at these stations, but that is not required.
The hot springs
The naturally heated waters can be very hot depending on the onsen. Sometimes there are different pools available at different temperatures. Stay mindful of your heat tolerance, and for your first experience, it’s a good idea to only dip in for 5-10 minutes or less, cooling off in the outdoor air (for outdoor springs) or using water bowls or spray nozzle to cool your body with cold water. Keep a bottle of water in your locker to stay hydrated during and after the experience.
After the bath
When you are done enjoying the hot bathing experience, use a small towel to dry your body, especially your legs, so that you don’t drip a lot of water in the changing room. Use the large towel in your locker to dry fully before dressing. Hair dryers are usually available in the changing room if you’d like to dry your hair before going out. After dressing, go to the entryway lockers where your shoes are stored to pick them up before departing.
Visiting multiple onsens
If visiting more than one onsen on the same day, it is important to ensure that you drink plenty of water. Also, treat the visit to each location as a new event. Even though you have recently bathed at the other facility, you should still thoroughly wash with soap and water before entering the next onsen.
A Sample Itinerary (our experience)
After two days of walking miles in our quest to visit some of the 17 shrines and temples that make Kyoto such a destination spot for seeing World Heritage Sites, my friends and I were ready to wind down and relax our sore muscles!
Day 1
Morning
We took the 7:30 AM express train from Kyoto station to the Kinosaki Onsen station, arriving around 10 AM. After arriving, we took the free shuttle to our hotel to get checked in. We chose to stay at the Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei, which features traditional Japanese family-style rooms. There are no beds when you first arrive in the room. The floors were made of soft tatami mats, and a low table was in the middle of the room. Later that evening, the table would be moved, and soft futon-style beds would be laid on the floor for us to sleep on.
Many local inns and hotels offer a free pass to the seven public onsen, but the passes won't activate until your official check-in time in the afternoon. After dropping off our bags and finishing check-in, we went to the ropeway station.
At the base of the mountain near the station is a beautiful fountain from which steaming hot water bubbles up, cascading into a large concrete bowl. Next to this is a little café featuring coffee and teas and a large collection of eggs in red mesh bags! Curious about the eggs, we looked closer to learn that there was a rectangular basin of thermal water with a wooden grate on top. After buying a bag of three eggs, we were told to tie the eggs onto the wooden lattice top and leave the eggs to cook in the "egg onsen" (aka egg spa!), which we found hilarious! Eleven minutes later, we had some delicious medium-boiled eggs to eat with a pinch of salt.
Refreshed from our snack, we went up a long flight of stairs to the ropeway station. After purchasing a round-trip ticket, we began a lovely journey up to the top of Mount Daishi, which was awarded one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan for its spectacular view of the region. Atop the mountain, there is also a large Buddha statue and a beautiful little temple dedicated to the local onsen: Onsenji Temple.
When Kinosaki Onsen was first established, visitors had to follow a special tradition requiring them to climb the mountain and visit the Onsenji Temple before indulging in the soothing hot springs. At this sacred place, visitors were immersed in the rich customs of the region, educated on the appropriate protocol for entering the hot springs, and granted permission for their use through prayer.
In respect for this revered tradition, we paid a visit to the temple, though the journey via the ropeway car was undoubtedly much easier than trekking up and down the mountain on foot!
Afternoon
Returning to the mountain base with the ropeway car, we took a short walk to one of many local eateries and enjoyed a simple lunch of fresh seafood, rice, and crab—which the region is famous for.
Back at the hotel, we checked into our rooms and changed into our hotel-issued yukata (traditional robes, socks, and sandals) before making the trip to our first onsen: the oldest bath house in the village, Kono-Yu. Legend has it that the discovery of Kono-yu's water occurred when an Oriental White Stork while seeking solace, found healing in the therapeutic embrace of the hot spring, its wounds gradually being soothed away.
Kono-Yu was one of my favorite onsens due to the outdoor pool set in a small garden. It had begun to rain, and there was something incredibly delightful about the cold drizzly weather falling upon my shoulders as I soaked in the steaming water. We spent an hour at this first onsen, which was too long in retrospect. As our journey continued, we learned that 30 minutes per site was ideal for experiencing each location (including the undressing, pre-washing, soaking, drying and dressing process) without getting overheated.
After Kono-Yu, we walked a short distance to the Mandaru-Yu onsen featuring two ceramic tubs and an indoor hot pool. This one lacked the charisma of the first onsen's large outdoor pool but was still lovely.
Evening
We returned to the hotel to prepare for dinner. Many of the local hotels and inns include a traditional kaiseki dinner. For us, this entailed a two-hour service of many courses featuring sashimi, crab, soup, tea, wagyu beef, pickled vegetables, and sake.
Day 2
We had an ambitious plan to hit up the remaining public onsen for a proper tour of all the possibilities. We balanced our onsen visits with shorter bouts of 30 minutes per site and then took a break with some souvenir shopping and a light lunch in a local café. My two favorite onsen were Goshono-Yu, which features the outdoor pools and waterfall view I described earlier. The other favorite was Ichino-Yu, which has a cave to enjoy your soak in!
That evening we enjoyed another kaiseki dinner and followed that with a fun attempt at karaoke at the hotel! We left the next day—our skin aglow and muscles relaxed—on the early express train out of town.
The Takeaway
Thermal spas offer a unique healing experience! You don’t have to travel across the world to partake. Look for thermal springs in your area or recreate your own bath at home by adding some Epsom mineral salts to the tub.
If you have any good experiences with onsen or other types of thermal spas, please share below in the comments section! I’d love to learn more about other locations and bathhouse styles!
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.