Onsen Etiquette

I would like to try out the onsen, but I'm uncomfortable baring my body. Can I wrap myself in a large beach towel in the hot spring?

Generally no, as clothing (e.g. swimsuits) or towels are not supposed to enter the water. However, there are a few places, such as mixed baths, that require women to wrap themselves in a towel when they bathe. The other option would be to find a place with private family bathing (kashikiri) which you can rent out for an hour or so to bathe in private.

This is the first time I read about a mixed bath that requires women to wrap themselves in a towel, but I suppose there's a first time for anybody including me.

Actually, wrapping a towel when everybody else is naked is like swimming in a business suit when everyone else is wearing bikinis. Not only others but you yourself might feel uncomfortable.

As suggested, you can look for private onsen as well as big ones where everybody wears swim wear. But personally, I recommend you try the authenticy by being naked either at a private one or a public one.

I've heard of the women/towel thing (I think it was in someone's website about mixed bathing sites in Japan, but can't remember where), but have never come across it (probably because I wouldn't go to a place like that).

It's like getting changed to do sports - no one's looking at you. Rather, people are avoiding having eye contact or looking at the other people.

In a lot of onsen, you may not encounter anyone as you get in and out of the bath. And a lot of onsen have milky water, and/or tend to be dimly lit, so once you're in, no one can see your nakedness in any case.

Remember, you'll never see these people again.

I don't understand what you are saying.
if others are bare, and you only wear something. you are not a member of that group.
you will be recognized as an unexpected outsider.
is that your purpose ?

you can use a private onsen.

to the OP, don't stress it. There tends to be a rush on at the onsen before meals in the morning (maybe 7.30AM to 9AM) and in the evening (say 5PM to 7PM), but very early morning, mid afternoon, and later at night you pretty much have the place to yourself. That is a good way to get used to the concept. The private onsens usually aren't as elaborate, so it is better to get out into the normal baths when there isn't as many people around, until you get used to it.

I'm surprised more of you haven't encountered the towel wrapping thing. I don't think it's all that uncommon at konyoku rotemburo, although in some cases it's more of a suggestion rather than a requirement. In either of these cases the men could use their small towel to cover themselves in the water, and personally I think it may be more uncomfortable for the men as they only have a small covering while the women are fully covered.

I've heard of the women/towel thing (I think it was in someone's website about mixed bathing sites in Japan, but can't remember where), but have never come across it (probably because I wouldn't go to a place like that).

That's too bad, as often these are the really special baths.

I don't understand what you are saying.
if others are bare, and you only wear something. you are not a member of that group.
you will be recognized as an unexpected outsider.

But that is precisely the point. The towel thing is so that women have an option that would make them feel comfortable bathing in an environment that would otherwise be only accessible to men.

Choosing private onsen is a good, but not an equal, option as the private or gender segregated baths typically don't compare in size or atmosphere to the mixed baths, which are often the main attraction of the particular onsen.

from my experience:
women tend to use small towels to cover their ladies parts when walking around the bathroom. Still, they take them off from bathtubs. Never seen a woman in a (bath or any) towel inside the bathtub.

But that is precisely the point. The towel thing is so that women have an option that would make them feel comfortable bathing in an environment that would otherwise be only accessible to men.

As a Japanese woman, I'm not so sure about that. I had always thought that the concept of a Japanese public bath is "We're all naked anyway so why worry."

I've written this a long time ago here, but me and my female friends once felt very offended when a group of ladies came into the bathing room with their towels fully wrapped. At first, we didn't realise they were non-Japanese Asians, so we suddenly felt stupid and embarrassed being the only "vulnerable" people there.

I would imagine it would basically be the same thing in a mixed bath. If both genders are equally fully covered that's one thing. But if the men are using hand towels while women use bath towels, I'm sure the men can feel more embarrassed. In fact, I'm sure the women might be embarrassed to see the men more "naked" than the women. It's like suddenly eating the forbidden fruit. I've bathed in a mixed tub myself, and I was able to feel at ease only after I took all my clothes off.

It's not that I deny the "towel thing" though, if that is the unwritten rule. It's just that I find it quite different. Well, I'm starting to get off-topic.

As a Japanese woman, I'm not so sure about that. I had always thought that the concept of a Japanese public bath is "We're all naked anyway so why worry."

I'm not a woman, but I'm not sure the younger generation follows the same carefree attitude concerning nudity anymore. In my experience, younger women would rather skip the more atmospheric mixed baths if they have to be naked and use the segregated baths instead. And I have definitely been to a fair number of konyoku were the mixed bath basically becomes the mens bath as the women are too timid to enter save for the protection that a towel affords.

I would imagine it would basically be the same thing in a mixed bath. If both genders are equally fully covered that's one thing. But if the men are using hand towels while women use bath towels, I'm sure the men can feel more embarrassed.

Yes, I would agree, as this is the exact feeling I've had when using a mixed bath.

I've bathed in a mixed tub myself, and I was able to feel at ease only after I took all my clothes off.

I wish more people shared that sentiment ;)

It's not that I deny the "towel thing" though, if that is the unwritten rule. It's just that I find it quite different. Well, I'm starting to get off-topic.

No worries. I just want to explain that these types of baths exist, and I've encountered many mixed baths that have an explicit written rule about women wrapping themselves in towels.

I've noticed that a lot of men (haven't been to a mixed bath yet) will cover their privates when going to and from the bath but most don't bother.. Sometimes I see people take the small towels into the water but not for any real reason as far as covering up..