Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [64]
I stripped down, splashed quick buckets over myself and plunged in. It was pure bliss. It took a few minutes to gather my wits. But, when I did, I realised that I was sitting in one of the most spectacular natural baths anywhere. I was smack dab in the middle of the Japan Alps, with mountains forming a perfect circle around me and a fine alpine river cascading by me. And, I had it all to myself. There was no place in the world I would rather have been.
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JEWELLERY WARNING
The minerals in certain onsen can discolour jewellery, particularly anything made of silver. However, don’t worry too much if you forget to take off your silver wedding ring before jumping in the tub. After a few hours, the discolouration usually fades.
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Like many of the best things in life, some of the finest onsen in Japan are free. Just show up with a towel and your birthday suit, splash a little water on yourself and plunge in. No communication hassles, no expenses and no worries. And even if you must pay to enter, it’s usually just a minor snip – averaging about ¥700 (US$7) per person.
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BEST ONSEN EXPERIENCES
With so many great onsen to choose from in Japan, it’s tricky to pick favourites. And no matter how many onsen you try, there’s always the suspicion that somewhere out there is the holy grail of onsen just waiting to be discovered. That said, we’re going to go way out on a limb here and recommend a few of our favourites, broken up into categories to help you choose. Here goes…
Urban Onsen
Ōedo Onsen Monogatari (Tokyo;) Located on the artificial island of Odaiba out in Tokyo Bay, this giant super onsen is modelled on an Edo-period town. There is a huge variety of tubs, including outdoor tubs, as well as restaurants, relaxation rooms and shops. You can even get a massage and spa treatments. You can easily spend a whole day here soaking away your cares.
Ocean-side Onsen
Jinata Onsen (Shikine-jima, Izu-shotō; Click here) The setting of this onsen couldn’t be more dramatic: it’s located in a rocky cleft in the seashore of lovely little Shikine-jima, an island only a few hours’ ferry ride from downtown Tokyo. The pools are formed by the seaside rocks and it’s one of those onsen that only works when the tide is right. You can spend a few lovely hours here watching the Pacific rollers crashing on the rocks. And, there are two other excellent onsen on the island when you get tired of this one.
Riverside Onsen
Takaragawa Onsen (Gunma-ken; Click here) Japanese onsen connoisseurs often pronounce Gunma-ken’s onsen to be the best in the country. Difficult for us to argue. Takaragawa means ‘treasure river’, and its several slate-floored pools sit along several hundred metres of riverbank, surrounded by maple trees and mountains. Most of the pools are mixed bathing, with one ladies-only bath. The alkaline waters are said to cure fatigue, nervous disorders and digestive troubles.
Onsen Town
Kinosaki (Kansai;) Kinosaki, on the Sea of Japan coast in northern Kansai, is the quintessential onsen town. With seven public baths and dozens of onsen ryokan, this is the place to sample the onsen ryokan experience, eg Nishimuraya Honkan. You can relax in your accommodation, taking the waters as it pleases you, and when you get tired of your ryokan’s bath, you can hit the streets in a yukata (light cotton kimono) and geta (wooden sandals) and soak in the public baths. It doesn’t hurt that the town is extremely atmospheric at night, and the local winter speciality, giant crab, goes down pretty nice after a day of onsen-hopping.
Clifftop Onsen
Sawada-kōen Rotemburo onsen (Dōgashima, Izu-hantō; Click here) If you like a view with your bath, you won’t do any better than this simple rotemburo (outdoor bath) perched high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We liked it early