Letting go in a Japanese hot spring

Few pleasures match up to soaking in the natural hot springs of Japan

It’s minus 6 degrees Celsius. Snow — sprayed all over like a powder jar gone astray — covers everything in sight. Long, sturdy icicles hang over the window sills. Trees seem to be giving away under the weight of the snow  on the branches. Every few seconds some of the snow comes swooshing down elegantly onto the ground.

“If this is spring, what happens in winter?” is my first thought as I stand and gape at the scene outside and try to come to terms with what is expected of me. I watch in silence as three Japanese women, representing three different generations, step out into the snow — all stark naked. I hear a sharp intake of breath and realise it is my own. They are, in fact, squealing in delight as their feet leave imprints of three sizes on the snow when they head towards the water.

I am standing in a Japanese onsen — in the same state as when I entered the world — contemplating whether to take the plunge I have been assured millions of others have taken before me.  Before me is an inviting pool of hot spring water — the indoor one to start with and I know that the water will be warm, even hot, to the touch. Yet, I am hesitant to take the first step.

In an onsen — this one is Hirayu Onsen near Takayama in Gifu Prefecture – the first thing one has to shed is one’s inhibitions. Next, it is your clothes. And then all fears, worries and thoughts can be consigned to the dustbin as one gives in to the sheer joy of the warm natural spring water in the small pools, eight in total at Hirayu, marvellously well set amidst short, tidy trees and rocks smoothened over centuries.

My experience is made surreal by the fact that it hasn’t stopped snowing for the last 48 hours. It is snowing even when I am expected to step outside (after shedding several layers of clothing) and into these pools. The scene outside the indoor pool area looks straight out of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and I expect to see Lucy Liu with her sword ready to charge at Uma Thurman at any point.

I enter the indoor hot spring, close my eyes and savour the feelings that wash over me. This has to rate among the best feeling in the world — few others can compare with the pleasure of giving in to the warm water and its force. I notice one other lady who seems to be in deep meditation (the men and women pools are, of course, separate) but she takes no notice of me.

I finally take a deep, free, relieved breath and let go. I have not made any mistakes as far as I can tell. Barring clutching my towel to me till the bitter end — unlike all the other women who had nonchalantly left their towels with their clothes — I was following to the tee all the etiquette involved with onsen bathing in this extraordinary country.

There are over 3,000 natural hot springs across Japan and bathing in these is an ancient tradition in the country. In earlier times, people flocked to onsens to seek relief from various ailments, firm in their belief that the water was so rich in minerals and curative properties that it could offer a cure for the most dreaded illnesses. Some of that belief might have weakened over the years and now onsens are seen more as an entertainment and tourism opportunity. It is quite common for a Japanese family to head to one of the onsens on holidays and for everyone — grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers, mothers and children — to indulge in the pleasures on offer.

Traditionally, and like many of the best things in life, most of the onsens in the country were also free. It is only of late that ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) that have private natural hot springs within their premises have made this into a luxurious treat. Staying and getting pampered silly at one of these ryokans can set you back by a fair amount, although most travellers argue that it is value for money. At these ryokans, guests can spend the entire day in the natural spring water, while eating the best of Japanese cuisine and tasting the best available sake the country has to offer. It is a bit of a decadent holiday but something akin to spa retreats in India.

Some public onsens — like the one I am at —charge a small fee (something that amounts to roughly Rs 250 per head) but are no less clean or inviting than the more upmarket fare. There is a short list of dos and don’ts that most travellers are happy to follow.

As I finally gather my courage, step out into the snow and plunge into one of the small pools, I think life is complete — perhaps the only thing missing is a glass of warm sake. If I had one, I’d raise a toast to Japanese onsens. May they live even longer than the Japanese are already managing to do.

GETTING THERE

• Tokyo is a seven-hour flight from New Delhi. A four-and-a-half-hour ride on the Japanese Shinkansen (high-speed bullet train) takes you from Tokyo via Nagoya to Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. From there, a one-hour bus ride from Takayama Central Station takes you directly to Hirayu bus station. The onsen is a three-minute walk from the station.
   
• Takayama has many options for accommodation, ranging from hotels to ryokans and priced to suit different budgets. A good option — for non-Japanese speaking tourists — is Rickshaw Inn which has lovely Japanese-style rooms and an English-speaking owner.
   
• A dip into the onsen costs Rs 250 per head. One has to carry or purchase a towel which costs Rs 500 a piece.

WHEN IN AN ONSEN...

• Don't bathe or start washing yourself
   
• No soaps, shampoo, body washes should be taken into the water
   
• No towels or clothing of any kind should be taken into the water
   
• The onsen is not a swimming pool or play area, so children must be stopped from playing or bringing rubber toys and so on into the pools
   
• Noise is discouraged
   
• Bathing and cleaning etiquette must be followed before entering the pools