Types of Onsen

After recovering a long weekend of all your can eat food and all you can drink micro-brews at a local hot spring (onsen 温泉) hotel, it occurred to me that we here at AccessJ have yet to cover the basic types of onsen facilities found throughout Japan. Although the basic concept of an open-air, hot water spring holds true just about everywhere you go in Japan, there are some important distinctions you should be aware of when choosing your hot spring getaway.

Onsen Etiquette

Now that winter is upon us, it seems fitting to post something about this author's favorite winter pastime: lounging around naked in hot baths with a bunch of dudes. If you have not tried your local hot spring or "onsen" (温泉), you are missing out on a truely relaxing experience. 

Since both myself and LP have talked about finding local onsen as well as finding semi-private baths, it seems only fitting that we cover some ground rules for onsen bathing.

Finding Private Baths and Onsen in Japan

I love Japanese onsens. I love the relaxing water, the pleasant designs of the tubs, and the views they often overlook--even the smell of sulfur has grown on me.

In fact, the only thing about onsens that I don't enjoy is the whole getting naked with a bunch of other guys part.

Why Are The Japanese So Lean?

Okay, so not all of them are. But the Japanese have and somewhat deserve the reputation of being skinny, despite eating huge amounts of white rice. Japan has just over 10% of the obesity rate of the USA, and sits at the bottom of this table of rankings.

I took my nutritional knowledge on a short path to the bottom of this for your reading pleasure.

How to Find Your Local Hot Spring (Onsen)

If you are anything like me, you might find yourself craving a long, relaxing dip in the traditional Japanese hot spring (known as onsen 温泉) after a long day at work. But how do you go about locating your local bath house? Lets take a look at some handy onsen location resources.