Onsen Etiquette: Things to Know Before Taking the Plunge
Taking a bath seems simple enough. Something along the lines of "run the tap, allow to fill and get in" is pretty much how most Westerners are trained to do it. In Japan, however, the tradition of bathing is an ancient one that was elevated to something of an art, a transformational and spiritual experience that, due to its communal nature, bonded communities in traditional Japanese society. There are two types of Japanese baths, differentiated primarily by the water used. A sentō is a local bathhouse that uses heated tap water. Sentos used to exist in most Japanese suburbs, as many homes did ...