onsens and cultural curiosities

Japanese culture is really quite fascinating. There are so many small things that we have noticed. Everything is so organized and clean. Not even a cigarette butt on the ground. I found it interesting that although there are designated smoking areas still in the bars, restaurants, and most buildings, you are not allowed to smoke on the street outside! It is considered dangerous - as the streets are often so crowded with people. They do, however, have designated smoking areas on the occasional street corner, where metal cannisters are there to use as ashtrays.

There are vending machines everywhere with everything from energy drinks to hot coffee, beer and cigarettes - and all at very reasonable prices. The bakeries here are amazing...would put the French to shame. In fact, this is quite the place if you re a foodie like me. The food is fun to look at. There are specialty stores everywhere that sell special candies and cakes - and they are all works of art. Beautiful colours and designs. I have no idea how these people stay so thin.

I am not really a fan of some of the food here(although I love sushi),there just seems to be a lack of veggies...I know, I know, I am hung up on crunchy greens, but for good reason...my digestive system is reliant on them (if you get my meaning). There has been absolutely no "movement on the southern front' since we left Vietnam! I swear all this rice and noodles turns to glue in my gut!

Today Nate and I went to see the ancient Emperor's palace. Very un-ostentatious - but the grounds were beautiful with many gardens, ponds, and amazing trees. After that we went and walked around the food market. It was huge - with all manner of edibles....I bought some figs, strawberries and plums...will eat them all tonight and see what happens :-). Then we went for sushi and stuffed ourselves with varying delicacies that passed by us on a conveyor belt. We just took what we wanted as it went by, and stacked out empty little plates for them to count at the end so they would know how much to charge us. It was an 18 plate meal.

After supper we took a bus cross town and found one of the old bathhouses built around natural hot springs. Now that was a cultural experience...here is how it went...

We entered,paid, were given a small towel and a bar of soap to wash up with before entering the hot pools. Well, as we entered the change rooms, Nate says, "see you on the other side." We assumed we would be together in the pools - but as it turned out, there were two sections, one for men and one for women. In the locker room as i was stripping down to put my bathing suit on, I notice a whole lot of old naked women. Hmmmm, oh well, I think to myself, surely they wore bathing suits in the pools...or if not, maybe only the older people are the naked ones. Then an old lady came over and babbled at me in Japanese, and handed me a small round plastic bowl...not sure why, and since I did not understand a word she said, I just smiled and put on my suit, and I entered a hallway between the changing room and the pools. It had a long sink. and I figured - Ok, I get it, this is where I am supposed to wash my body before going into the pool. So, I start to wash my hands, and when I moved onto my armpits, an old lady shrieked at me and started to cackle. She says, "NO! This bath!" pointing to the pool. Then she points to my suit and says, "no underwear." "You take o0ff and go in there to wash!" Okeedoky....

So, I strip naked, take my plastic bowl (still don't know what this is for), and go into the room with the pools - relieved to see there is a wall between where the men enter the pools and where the women are. I look around, and suddenly it all makes sense. There on the walls around the hot pools is a line of midget sized shower heads....and mirrors...and the women are all sitting - naked - on little plastic stools facing the mirrors, taking showers. And pouring little bowls of water over their heads and bodies to rinse off the bubbles. OK, got it. Dump bowls of water over head before jumping in pool.

So, I crouch down rinse my hair, wash my parts, and hop into the nearest pool to hide my nakedness. That's when I see all the women -still on their stools- lathering themselves vigorously - for a second and third time - with all manner of soaps and clothes, and scrubbing their bodies in a way I have never seen. Hmmmm, I think to myself...is it possible my mother forgot to teach me how to bath? She did after all forget to teach me how to iron...I think it is quite possible I have never washed myself properly. Man - do these people know how to wash! It is quite a ritual! Only after the 30 minute scrubbing, did they then go soak in the various different tubs of hot water.

The water - yes - this too was an experience. So, I slink into the nearest tub, which was a cedar tub with a very nice temperature. But, since i have no one to talk to, i get quickly bored and move on to the next tub. I start walking through a skinny area, and all of a sudden i squeal...JEEESUZ! I have been electrocuted! I am jumping and shouting and manage to clamour out of the tub right beside the sign that says "Electric bath" I am not kidding!...it also said, do not use this bath if you have heart trouble. Heart trouble? The bath just gave me a freaking heart attack! Ok, on to the next tub...

This one was pretty cool - I thought there was a bench to sit on, so when i sat down, i realized I was sitting on strong jets of water. There was no bench...just the water pressure keeping you up. Then there was the two tubs that were too hot to go in, the herbal tub - that i am pretty sure was tea, and then the lovely tubs that were outdoors built out of rocks with the natural water coming in from a small water fall. This one was a lovely temperature. Then I hopped into the next one. Holy Shit! it was ice cold. Nice trick people...lure me with 29 different hot tubs and then sneak in a cold one just to piss me off.

Onsen. Interesting custom. I think I will stick to my dual clawfoot tub, a few bubbles, mon amant, and a glass of wine. Who cares if I never get cleaned properly!

Tomorrow we are off to Hiroshima, then the next day we head back to Tokyo and catch out flight home. I cannot believe our 7 week trip is almost over. I will write more tomorrow s I have some final reflections on Japan I want to share and some photos to upload. For some reason the internet at this hostels is extremely slow, so uploading is out of the question here....maybe at the airport tomorrow.