Trip to the Onsen

Friday night my friend Cindy called me up. We were supposed to go to an Onsen on Sunday, but she had something come up and wanted to do it that night instead. For those of you that don't know, an Onsen is a Japanese hot bath where you're naked the entire time around other naked women (or men as the case may be). Unless you go to a co-ed one and then you're around both sexes.

I've been apprehensive about going and haven't gone in the 2 1/2 years we've been here. I'm just not comfortable walking around naked. Hell, I even hated giving birth because everyone sees your bits and pieces. I really wanted to try it though so I told her sure, that way I couldn't back out.

I finished up dinner at my house, changed in my jammies and packed my toiletries. Cindy showed up and we were off. We had to drive to an Onsen near the train station because Cindy said it was one of the nicer ones and not so YMCAish.

When we got there we had to buy our tickets from a vending machine and give them to the ticket lady. When we entered the woman's side of the onsen we took off our shoes and walked to the locker room. I was really apprehensive at this point. One minute I'm talking to a clothed Cindy and the next she's naked and waiting on me so I took a deep breath and took it all off, grabbed my modesty towel (yeah like that covers much) and walked on with her.

We went to the area where you bathe. See in an Onsen you bathe first sitting down at this shower type area. I really wish I could take pictures to explain it. Then you walk to the hot baths and soak for a while. You could go to a sauna if you wanted (and we did, but I didn't last in there long) or pick between the indoor and outdoor baths.

The whole experiance was a little awkward, but still fantastic. I want to go back again, but there's that whole naked thing to deal with still. I think Cody might just have to build me my own private onsen type bath when we (finally) own a house