1. Arrival at Unzen Onsen village
Upon arriving at an onsen village, you are typically welcomed by clouds of steam, the smell of sulfur, and the clacking of wooden geta (clogs). Here at Unzen Onsen, gusts of volcanically heated steam overwhelm you, occasionally making fellow onsen visitors invisible. At the center of the village, a bevy of natural cauldrons bloom, which is where the villages hottest water comes from; it's so hot, in fact, that some 400 years ago, these cauldrons were used to torture "illegal" Christians.
2. Entrance of the Ryokan
Near Unzen Onsen, there is a mid-sized Japanese inn (ryokan) named "Fukiya". At the entrance of the inn, following the principle of Japanese-style service and hospitality represented by the phrase "Okyaku-sama wa kami-sama desu" meaning "The customer is God", all the nakai-san (serving ladies) line up and welcome you (for those of you who watch too many maid harem anime shows, don't get any ideas!). After the greeting, the okami-san (inn mistress) serves you maccha (green tea) and sweet wagashi (Japanese cakes) in the inn lobby before escorting you to your room. Remember, tipping is not necessary, as the service is exclusively composed of magokoro (pure cordiality).
3. Inn Room
Remember, wearing shoes on tatami mats is not allowed. An inn room is typically decorated with a low table surrounded by puffy zabuton (cushions for sitting), and usually has a small adjacent space, separated by a shoji screen, with an outdoor view. A tea set is prepared on the table, and there's a bathing set inside the closet-it includes a cotton yukata, a bath towel and a washcloth. Later, in the evening, a nakai-san comes to the room with freshly washed sheets and prepares a futon for the night. Prepare to be shocked by how effortlessly she tosses around the heavy futons-and also prepare to sleep without a box spring. Ouch.
4. Signature Bathtub
Every onsen offers a signature bath, often an outdoor space, for its guests as well as any day-trippers. The open air tub is specifically called roten buro. The outside tub is considered to be the ideal way to enjoy an onsen, with its scenic, open-air view, perhaps under a starry sky. Fukiya Ryoken's signature tub is called "Tenchi Daichi no Yu", meaning "Hot water of Heaven and Earth". The baths are usually gender-separated, so please make sure to proceed into the correct direction-though children under six years old can choose whichever they like.
5.Changing Room
You may wear a yukata prior to bathing, but once inside the changing room, you have to take everything off and put your clothes into any one of the empty baskets provided. The changing room is often equipped with safety boxes for valuable goods. Once you are ready, cover your special parts with the washcloth you brought from your room. Don't even try to wrap up your entire body with a bath towel, unless you want to attract curious eyes. Leave the clean bath towel with your clothes.
6. Scrubbing Area
The huge, placid bath is so tempting, but don't dive in just yet. You must prepare yourself before entering. Pre-wash your body with water from either tap or the bath itself using a washbowl provided in the scrubbing area. To make your body ready for hot springs bathing, start with the parts of your body furthest from the heart-such as feet an hands-to become acclimated to the temperature. For good etiquette, rinse your naughty bits with several scoops of water. Scrubbing with soap isn't necessary unless you're filthy, or you just came back from an anime convention.
7. Bathing
Now you can ease your body into the hot water. Dip in slowly, and be aware that the bath water can be very hot (typically 105-110 degrees). Drinking a lot of water prior to bathing is recommended as it promotes perspiration. If you feel sweat on your forehead, get out of the tub, and wash your body-this time with soap-and your hair with shampoo. Then, re-immerse your body in the mineral water. Do NOT rinse your body with tap water. This will give all those healing minerals a chance to work their magic!
8. Dressing Area
Dry your body with the bath towel before donning your yukata. It isn't too difficult to figure out how to wear a yukata, but there's one little trick. Don't place the right-side flap over the left side (unless you want to freak out the little kids at the onsen); this means that you're dead. Once you've got the yukata nicely in place, tie it with the obi over the stomach and groom yourself for an evening stroll or dinner feast.
WARNING: After taking a bath, it usually takes a couple of hours for your blood pressure to stabilize. A 30-minute rest is recommended, as is drinking a lot of water. At Fukiya, icy-cold mugicha (roasted barley tea, a typical summer drink in Japan) is served in a relaxation area.
9. Food
Each onsen ryokan offers signature dishes featuring local delicacies exquisitely placed on numerous porcelain plates. In the wintertime, the onsen spas on the coast of the Japan sea are filled with people eager to gobble up the seasonal crab cuisine. In the early summer, there is ayu (sweetfish). Sashimi and tofu dishes are musts for dinner. Everything is appetizer-sized, though there are a lot of dishes. Onsen tamago (egg) is a delicacy of every onsen spa. Onsen tamago is prepared by coddling the eggs at the temperature of 149-154 degrees for about 30 minutes, often using the spa's own naturally hot spring water. The egg gets boiled, but the egg white is softer than the yolk, thanks to the difference in the solidification temperature of the yolk and the egg-white. The taste is delicate , and quite yummy.
10. Foot Spa
Every mid-sized or bigger onsen has an ashi-yu (foot spa) in the center of the town. Here, the super-shy need not be naked in front of strangers; instead, they just soak their feet in warm spring water. It's free of charge and you don't even need to pre-wash your feet!
11. Jinja
At Unzen Onsen, there are three small jinja (Shinto shrines) which honor three of the thousands of kami (Gods). The most notable feature of the jinja is a torii (gate) serving as a secret passage to meet with the gods, and often a pair of komaine (mythical dog-like lion monsters) protecting the gods from evil spirits.
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