“Visiting an Onsen is Meditation.”

”There is nothing better then sitting on a rainy day in an outdoor Onsen, the hot water warming your body, feeling the cool rain drops on your face, and relaxing the mind.”

“The best way to spend your time: relaxing your muscles and having a zen-like relaxing experience after a long walk through Tokyo’s bustling city in a Japanese bath, nothing short of nirvana.”

Japan is known as the World No.1 hot spring country, set along the Pacific Ring of Fire. There are three main types of Japanese baths: onsen is a communal bath that draws water from a natural mineral-filled hot spring, heated by geothermally by the energy from active volcanoes, sento is communal bath with heated tab water and therefore rather practical than having healing effects- though still refreshing and relaxing. One might provide carbonated water which smoothen the skin, and another might have mild to soften it. And finally there is ofuro, which is a Japanese (often private) soaking tub, typically square-shaped or round like a bucket and made of Japanese cedarwood. It is for an individual or small family, often found in Japanese inns, called Ryokans but also some onsen in Tokyo have them.

There are more than 2,900 onsen and more than 22,000 onsen resorts all over Japan and the people of Edo (Tokyo) had to travel to the rural areas to enjoy the hot springs. But today, you can enjoy a stunning onsen without leaving the city, soaking away stress that accumulates at work and in life. The term refers to any bath where there is water sourced from a natural hot spring. An onsen that draws from a hot spring full of sulfur is said to help people with arthritis and skin problems. An onsen rich in iron will restore energy in bathers suffering from anemia. You can find an onsen on a map by looking for the ♨ symbol.

Beside onsen, Tokyo has almost 700 bath houses - called sento. A sento is a truly neighborhood style of bathhouse but doesn’t have the volcanic water. Hence I prefer onsen (hot spring). Locals typically go alone to these facilities and there isn’t much talking. There are bigger Onsen, “Super Spa”, which are more fitting for a social gathering between friends, families and couples, providing mix-gender areas with Hot Bath Saunas and Restaurants.

The Japanese bath is more than just a bath: it is a cleansing ritual, a vital part of Japanese culture, and a way to restore both body and mind. The Japanese honor the power of water in nature. The water is rich in sodium chloride and is known to help ease muscle pain, joint stiffness, cuts, burns and colds. Men and women generally bath separately, though there are still a few mixed-gender ones and especially traditional inns have private onsen or family-style bath that can be reserved for private use (ofuro). One of the guiding principles of the Japanese bathing experience is “Hadaka no tsukiai” which translates to “naked friendship”. That’s why in Japan also business relations are entering an onsen. No longer it is important who is a rich business executive and who is the intern. At the Japanese baths, everyone is naked and the same.

There can be various reasons to visit an Onsen Bath. The main reason for me personally is to relax and meditate, disconnect from the digital and noisy world.

Additional reasons to visit an onsen:

After a long walk or office day, the hot, mineral-rich waters soothes the aches and stresses of the day and relax your muscles.
Some open-air baths provide a majestic scenery which becomes a feast for the eyes and mind.
Depending on your hotel or apartment shower space, go in the morning to an onsen and enjoy the big and extensive facilities,
You have to leave early to the airport or had a long night out, visit an onsen. Some have open the whole night till 10am, or others open from 6am onwards.
Simply because the onsen has the potential to heal sickness, a healing effect from skin conditions to cancer (the minerals in the water, the thermal effect warming the body and improve blood circulation, buoyance effect loosen muscles which relaxes body and mind, and a new and tranquil environment).
Combine the visit to the onsen with your laundry, have a meal and do some sightseeing near by.
Last but not least, experience an important Japanese culture as friends and families relax and talk together.

Japanese Bath House Etiquette (more details in the Step-by-Step Guide section):