Onsen!

Let me start by saying onsen are awesome! Awesomely awesome...possibly my favourite thing about Japan...maybe even surpassing the food.  That's how much I love onsen...it wasnt always so - haha.

What did I know about onsen to begin with?  Not a lot to be honest.  Hot water springs from volcanic activity? Yes. A big hot indoor/outdoor bath that you shared with complete strangers naked? Yes.  The majority of onsen are sex-segregated? No, I didnt know that.  You scrub yourself down & make sure you're completely, sparkly clean & suds free before you get in the onsen?  No, I was a bit vague on that bit too.

So it was with complete & utter trepidation that I agreed to go to an onsen for the first time with my cousin Shane & his wife Samar.  And before you all start thinking what a total prude I am, please refer to question & answer 3 above...I didnt know that the onsen was sex-segregated!  How relieved was I that I didnt have to share a tub with my naked cousin?!  Ah yes, we can all laugh at my stupidity now.  Whatever, I'm over it and I love onsen :)

So the deal is that you pay, go into the changing room, strip off and put all your clothes into a locker - then you & your towel go into the "washing area" for want of a better phrase.  All of the onsen I've been to so far are really nice..they all provide shampoo, bath gels, even fancy face scrubs so you are squeaky clean before getting into the actual springs.  Then comes the best bit...choose your tub..inside or out...sit down and AAHHHHHH - it's frigging fantastic :)