Naked group bathing in Japan

In Japan group thinking and being a group player is very much a part of everyday life.As an oft quoted saying goes out here

The nail that sticks out gets hit!.......Ouch!

So it comes as little supprise that this group thinking mentality can also be found in the bathroom(That`s not the toilet if your American!Sorry I should of said wash room or room that has a bath in it...That`s a bathroom isn`t it?Anyway I digress)

There are 2 types of group washing/cleansing rooms in Japan.A Sento,which is a public bath house,where for a small price you can strip off with your neighbours(imagine YOUR neighbours at home!!??)and have a good srub and chat about the day,food prices,your kids other peoples kids etc)Or theres the more upmarket Onsen or hot spring.

The sentos are cheap and to be found in any small town or city.Most taxi drivers will know of one locally.On arrival you pay at the door where your given a towel (some may not give you a towel so its as well to bring your own aswell as some soap and shampoo)

Once you`ve paid your split into goups.Men on one side and women on the other,there are seperate baths for each sex.You`ll go into a changing room not unlike the one at your local public swimming pool at home.Strip off and put your clothes in a locker.It`s aswell to leave fancy jewellery and watches at your hotel.Japan is far safer  than any UK or USA city or town.Once naked your ready to enter the main bathing room.Before entering a little tip to help you ease into what maybe a new experience for you.You`ll be given a handkerchief size towel with which to wash yourself with.Nudity is something the Japanese are most sensitive about.Visit a beach out here and your`ll be hard pressed to find any woman under the age of 30 in a bikini.Yet in the sento being naked in a group of your owm gender is nothing to be shy of whatever your age.

Another use for the small towel.The first time I used a sento I slung the small towel over my shoulder and hands on hips,naked as a lord, entered the main bathing room.The effect on my fellow bathers was similar to that of an old cowboy movie when the sheriff enters the noisey saloon and all goes quiet and a stray bush blows by.It`s better to follow the group ettiquette and use the small towel to cover your nether regions a kind of "modesty drape" is a phrase I`ve coined.This modesty drape will by no means stop people staring at you,unless your of east Asian parentage.For the rest of us Euro,Hispanic,Afro,Central Asian,Artic and Aliens we`re NOT going to blend in I`m afraid.Your can`t be a wall flower here.Nonetheless you should not feel intimidated by the curious looks.People aren`t staring at your `bits` their just supprised to see you a foriegner in the sento.

So you`ve entered the sento wash room.you`ll see a variety of pools around it`s inner santum.The pools will be of different sizes and importantly different tempretures.Some are hotter than others.Some may have jacuzzi like bubbles in them.None of the pools will be deeper than your thigh.DON`T climb in yet.Your`ll also see around the walls of the large wash room many showers.There`ll be no partitions.Each shower hose is detachable and fixed to the wall at the height of about 1 metre.Japanese people are shorter on the whole but their not pygmies.Each shower has a small stool infront of a mirror and a bowl,abit like a washing up bowl at home.Sit yourself down and have a good scrub,soap,shampoo and rinse.Then your ready to enjoy the delights of soaking in the pools.It`s such a wonderful relaxing sensation.Some people will wash and soap themselves a couple of times.I`ve been living in Japan 6 years now and still love bathing this way.Never will I soap and soak in a little bath lieing in my dirty soap suds,dead skin and filth again!Yes I converted.

Another type of bath is the onsen or hot spring,where the procedue is no different from a Sento.The differences are an Onsenis a little more upmarket and expensive than the sento.But for as little as 4 pounds sterling or 6 dollars US you can pop in to an onsen-usually found in a onsen hotel.The best ones and 100% natural ones are to be found in mountainous volcanic areas in Japan,of which there are many.The Japanese hold the onsen in high esteem and rightly so there wonderful too.They say they heal the body and add years to your life.I can`t argue with that as the Japanese live longer than the rest of us. Some onsens are out door where you can sit in your birthday suit and admire a view or watch the stars.Fantastic.I understand what nudists/naturists are on about at these times.Once I`m clothed and home all my prejudices return quite unchanged!

A cold beer after having a dip and soak for an hour tastes so good I don`t know how to express it in English.

One more bit of useful advice is to warn you of afew harmless stereo types your likely to meet in the wash room,especially in a sento.

The first is "the happy scrubber".This is not a giddy geisha or an affable male escort.No.The happy scrubber is usually of the age of a grandparent or great grandparent who without invitation will start scrubbing your back.DON`T punch them!!Their well meaning souls who have no alteria motives other than giving you a helping hand.

The "hot squealer" is another regular patron of the baths.They keep themselves to themselves but nonetheless I find them annoying.You find them in one of the hot pools squealing "Atsui...Atsui..Astui ne" to themselves like a buddhist mantra.This is all there really saying "Hot..oh.. it`s hot..it`s hot..oh it`s hot",...well it`s meant to be be effing hot.!They keep going on and on the whole time their in there.

Finally there`s the "coarse whisperer".Again their harmless but spend the whole time muttering away to themselves.Some of them giggle to themselves aswell,which is abit wierd.If they sit near you catch their eyes and they dash away from you looking slighty more manic.

I sincerely hope that if you do visit Japan you go to an Onsen or Sento.Cultrally there as Japanese as sushi,karaoke,samurai and geisha.Arigato for reading this.