By Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
I MAY HAVE FOUND A NEW DRUG. I'M NOT SURE.
What I do know is that last week's 30 km run to Yahiko followed by a dip in the local onsen (natural hot spring) was an experience I'll never forget. I have been to many onsen before, but the experience was never so enjoyable as after having run 20 miles in the late summer heat. When your body is absolutely tired, then it is absolutely ready to relax and to soak up all that healing heat, and benefit from the heavy mineral presence in the natural hot spring water、 or O-yu, as it is called here in Japan.
This weekend I am planning on running along the bank of the Agano River, heading 22 miles inland, toward the mountains, to one of the many onsen at the Sakihana Hot Spring.
HOW DOES ONE "DO" AN ONSEN?
It's pretty simple, really. You go into the building. Put your shoes in a shoe locker. Bring the locker key to the front desk. Pay your entrance fee (which sometimes includes a set of towels), and get a new key for the locker inside the changing room. Once in the changing room you find your locker, disrobe, and put the key around your wrist, bringing only a small towel with you into the bathing/onsen area.
THEN, IT IS IMPERATIVE YOU SHOWER BEFORE ENTERING THE ONSEN. GOING STRAIGHT IN WITHOUT UTILIZING ONE OF THE SHOWER CUBBIES AND THOROUGHLY WASHING IS AKIN TO SHITTING IN THE BATHTUB IN JAPANESE CULTURE.
Okay, maybe it is not that bad, but you will definitely be stared at, and possibly asked to leave if you don't wash first. I find the little shower/bath cubbies, equipped with a stool, plastic bucket, body wash, and shampoo, to be extremely relaxing, and a perfect precursor/ritual to partake of prior to entering the bath.
Once you're relaxed and all clean, it's time to partake of the fantastic, hot, healing mineral waters of the hot spring. There usually are pools both indoors and out, depending on the onsen, and also baths of varying temperature from the nearly scalding hot, to chilled. Go ahead and get in, and soak it up. The only real rule is: DON'T PUT YOUR TOWEL IN THE WATER! Put it on your head and let out a big relaxing sigh like an old man.
When your muscles have soaked in all the healing heat they desire, then you hit the shower cubby again, and dry off with your tiny towel (or larger one if there is a rack to store these in the bathing area), ringing it out again and again before going back to the locker room.
Finally, when you're all dressed, and you've utilized the free Q-tips, weighed yourself, had some cold milk from the vending machine, and just meandered around aimlessly and half-naked, like a big, relaxed leopard, then you can hit the sprawling tatami room for a cold beer, some TV and a session in the massage chair.
From a previous post of mine, The Anarchy of the Onsen: A Peek into a Staple of Japanese Culture, and its Anarchistic Nature
THIS WEEKEND'S RUN!
I've driven this route along the Agano River before, but am not sure if there is really a running path. The road is basically a high ridge along the river bank, and is quite narrow in some spots, so I'll have to be careful. Looking forward to it! The hot spring I am heading to is right there at the end of the route in the deep green of the mountains.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about onsen, etc, feel free to ask away in the comments. See ya on the trail!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
