Around three decades ago, my Japanese wife brought me to Suzume-no-yu, a traditional hot spring within the boundaries of Kyushu's Aso-Kujo National Park. It was my first time bathing naked or almost naked with men and women that I had never met before. But soaking unclothed in the hot mineral water of this konyoku, which means a mixed-sex bathing area, felt natural and relaxing.
Many bathers didn't cover any skin. Some bathers, like me, had tiny towels that just barely covered our privates. I held my towel before me while walking around the outdoor bath, but not everyone did. I remember elderly ladies nonchalantly soaking with breasts fully visible and younger ladies barely covering theirs. No one stared, made rude comments, seemed embarrassed, or hid their bodies. We were all at peace with our bodies.
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| View of a cold water bath in front of the mineral-laden, roof-covered onsen |
So I was shocked when I recently returned and discovered all the bathers wearing swimming suits. Japan has changed considerably in the last thirty years.
Why should humans feel ashamed of our bodies when our bodies are natural? Our genitalia are not shameful appendages. They are necessary for the continuation of our species. You could consider them gifts from evolution, gods, or whatever power you believe in.
I wrote questions to the management to learn why this once-traditional Japanese onsen now requires swimming suits. My questions and his answers are below.
When did management decide to require swimsuits in the mixed baths?
They made this decision after reopening Suzume-no-yu following the devastating Kumamoto earthquake of April 16, 2019.
Why did they decide to require swimsuits in the mixed baths?
In the past, we used to take baths naked. We also had a women-only hour at night. Before the earthquake, buildings, and walls around Suzume-no-Yu shielded the mixed-sex bath from the view of outsiders walking around the bathing area, so there was no problem with communal nudity. However, the earthquake destroyed those fences and surrounding buildings. Without those barriers, the open view from the baths was so wonderful that we decided to reopen the baths. With those conditions, we thought female customers could relax and enjoy their stay in peace by wearing swimsuits. We decided not to conceal ourselves behind a fence but to wear swimsuits.
Did Japanese or foreign customers request mandatory swimsuit-wearing before management made that decision?
Japanese people believed that onsen baths were to be taken in the nude, so there were no such requests. There were no specific requests from foreigners either.
After making swimsuits mandatory, did they receive positive or negative feedback from Japanese or foreigners about wearing swimsuits?
Positive Comments - Female guests welcomed the change. Family guests said it was nice to be able to enter together. Male customers also commented that they could relax and not worry about other people, especially women.
Negative comments - Some male guests commented that it was bothersome to wear clothes and that it was neither tasteful nor comfortable.
How much is day use, and how much does it cost for private rooms with private baths?
Entrance fees for day use of the spa are as follows: Adults 2,000 yen, students 1,800 yen,
elementary school students 800 yen, infants free.
Room accommodations with private open-air (half-open-air) baths in separate buildings are
41,950 yen/person ~ (2 meals included for two).
Curious to know what other Japanese foreign and native residents think about bathing in mixed-sex Japanese hot springs without swimsuits, I asked for comments on a LinkedIn post and discussed this topic with a few friends.
Most of the small number of answers indicate a reluctance to nude bathing. Some men do not want other men to see their naked wives and daughters. One woman expressed her hope that Japan would not lose its tradition of men and women bathing naked together. Another person suggested a compromise in which onsen rules allow bathers the freedom to either bathe in suits or au naturel. An important point was the fear of strangers taking photographs and uploading them to the web. I heard this years ago when I asked people in Gero Onsen why an open-air bath for men and women required bathing suits. One resident said that some people would stand on a bridge with views of the baths and take photographs or videos. Conversely, the rare rude bather would purposely expose his body to families walking on the bridge.
The fear of being photographed while innocently bathing and having one's body exposed on the internet shows the pernicious influence of smartphones and SNS on bathing culture.
I predict the number of public baths where naked men and women can bathe together in a relaxed environment will continue to decrease. A few onsens allowing traditional mixed-sex bathing will survive by fulfilling a need for the niche bather, one who seeks out this bathing style. I mourn the loss of traditional bathing customs but understand the feelings of those who are uncomfortable with naked bathing. Luckily, couples and families wishing to be together in Japanese onsens can rent private baths in some locations. Such private baths are called kashikiriburos. If you stay at a Japanese hotel or ryokan, ask if they have them. Sometimes, they are not well advertised in English. Beppu, Oita, is well known for many facilities offering kashikiriburos.
Although I regret the imposition of bathing suit regulations, I still recommend Suzume-no-yu Onsen for its unique water. The main public bath feels great. Sitting in the water, you can smell sulfur and feel thick mineral sediments. Some people like to soak their hands in the mud at the bottom of the baths and leave handprints on beams supporting the roof. The location is far from towns and noisy roads. The recently renewed lodging accommodations are rustically attractive.
Hikers will enjoy nearby walking routes. One path leads from the onsen up the mountain to locations where hot steam and bubbling, boiling water rise from the earth. If you have never seen this before, it is worth a visit. The hike continues through woods to the edge of a grassy plateau where local cattle and horses graze. This is part of the spectacular Aso-Kuju National Park.
This extensive, volcanic parkland has many Japanese onsens and other natural relaxing activities. Travelers in Japan who appreciate nature will be delighted to travel about the park.
A nearby onsen facility I also recommend is Aso Farm Land.
Suzume-no-Yu is located on the edge of Minamiaso, Kumamoto. Because of its remote location, driving is the best way to get there.
Probably, Japan's largest mix-sex bath is Sukayu Onsen in Aomori.
All photographs except the one at the bottom were provided by Suzume-no-yu Onsen at my request.
Hotspringaddict did not receive any money or services from the managers of this onsen for this positive review.
I think wearing bathing suits should be optional. People who want to be naked should have that freedom. My experiences with mix-gender bathing is that most people are respectful of others. Those who prefer bath trunks should be able to wear them. There is no need for any rules to forbid either.
ReplyDeleteYou and I have the same opinion. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteThanks for this informative and enlightening article! I look forward to visiting!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. Thanks for commenting. Feel free to ask questions about hot springs in Japan.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, Greg. It was interesting to get the perspective of an onsen which
ReplyDeletechanged their rules, and to find out exactly what was behind the decision. In terms of mixed bathing, I imagine the roots came from an era where nobody felt any particular shyness because that was a luxury they didn’t have time for. People were busy, and making rules about who could use the onsen—and when—would just complicate things. Moreover, communities were much closer: survival and prosperity was tied to being an integrated member of that community. You knew your neighbours well, and there were balances and checks built into that dynamic, so people would know the kind of behavior that was expected. Bathing with another person’s wife, husband, child, sibling or grandparent was not an unusual thing. Extending that to the sento culture, a benefit would have been that kids grew up seeing all kinds of bodies on a regular basis: those who had been scarred by injury or disease, older bodies, larger bodies, thinner bodies, etc. People were not too hung up on how they—or others—looked. Skipping other cultural and economic factors that hastened the demise of mixed bathing, and even a large drop in the popularity of the sento, over the years, I think social media is a huge reason why most people would reject mixed bathing on principle today. As a parent, I would absolutely not have been comfortable taking my daughters to a mixed bathing facility. Who knows who could be there taking photos or videos—a risk I would not be willing to take. It would be very hard for a facility to 100% ensure that nothing happened. (Even for men and boys, the risk is real, of course. When I took the kids on a trip without their dad and we stayed in hotel with an onsen, I felt uncomfortable letting my nine-year-old enter the men’s side alone while I bathed with his sisters. He was too old to be on the women’s side, however, and looked older than his age. He was OK but my feelings as a mother were valid.) For those who want to bathe with all their family/friends, regardless of gender, then wearing swimsuits is certainly one way to facilitate that and reduce concerns around SNS, etc. One could, of course, say that something special is lost when clothing becomes mandatory. Any remaining facilities that allow traditional mixed bathing probably work hard to maintain a comfortable and safe environment for the bathers who want this experience.
The comments above were sent to me through Messenger. I thought they were such good comments that I added them here.
ReplyDeleteGreg, I enjoyed reading this article very much. My first experience in a mixed-sex hot spring in Japan, like yours, was very pleasant. The steam and the cloudiness of the water were enough to limit seeing everything so obviously and no one behaved disrespectfully. It’s quite interesting to see how the culture of hot springs has evolved from the influence of social media, photography, and such. Yet, I really like how the decision was made after the earthquake to not rebuild the walls so that guests could enjoy the views. This also affirms the greatness of the customer orientation of Japanese businesses. Thanks very much for writing this article. I still need to get down to Kyushu and visit Suzuka-no-Yu one of these days.
ReplyDeleteThank you for responding. I love to hear from readers. Suzuka-no-Yu is just one of countless fantastic bathing locations to enjoy in Kyushu, but then again, fantastic onsens are all over Japan.
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