Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!
Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.
|
Public Onsen Houses and baths customs
|
2011/1/17 21:48
|
|
Hi, i have been in a onsen before, but it was in a hotel, and i don't kow if it's different or not. It had only one pool for men and one for women, and I went whether i wanted, in yukata, etc...
But i would like to know how is it in public onsen houses. Does it have several pools in there, or does it depend on the houses?
For example: i go to one, pay the fee, take off cloth, enjoy the bath, and then go away? Does it have a place to stay to make small breaks between baths? What are the customs for going to a onsen house? When paying the fee does i have to ask for something in particular? Or it's just like "Pay, enter and enjoy!"
Also if i go with my girlfriend and want a private bath, are the customs the same? In this case i might just get to use it once, cause it will propably be occupied all the time... Is this correct?
Also for example what is considered normal when passing a night in a very small ryokan (where even a family lives there), considering the occasions to bath? For example i arrive at 14h and is normal to go to the bath as soon as i arrive? Or should i just see the views and wait for 1h before dinner to go and take a bath? Is it normal to bath before or after dinner? or both?
My problem here is just to make myself understand and take my doubts with the people in the onsen/ryokan. Cause i can speak basic sentences in japanese, but i don't know if i would be able to take this doubts in japanese.
Thank you and sorry for so many questions!
|
|
by rfsa (guest)
|
|
|
But i would like to know how is it in public onsen houses. Does it have several pools in there, or does it depend on the houses?It widely depend on the bath house! At the one extreme you have one single tiny, gender-mixed bath. At the other extreme you have a huge bath facility with entire floors of various gender-separated pools. The average bath house maybe has two or three pools per gender. For example: i go to one, pay the fee, take off cloth, enjoy the bath, and then go away?Yes, that's the way! Does it have a place to stay to make small breaks between baths?You can always sit next to the pool and have a break. Many mid and large sized bath houses also have a lobby where you can get a break dressed. When paying the fee does i have to ask for something in particular?In most cases there is just one fee to enter. In some larger bath houses there might be different plans, but that should be quite straight forward. Also if i go with my girlfriend and want a private bath, are the customs the same?The majority of bath houses don't have private baths, but some do. The customs are the same, as outlined on the following page: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292_how.htmlIn this case i might just get to use it once, cause it will propably be occupied all the time... Is this correct?Indeed most private baths at public bath houses require some kind of reservation. depending on how busy the place is, the reservation has to be made even before your visit or it can be made after arrival. Also for example what is considered normal when passing a night in a very small ryokan (where even a family lives there), considering the occasions to bath?At small family ryokan you are usually limited to a certain time frame when you can take a bath. In some cases you might have to reserve a specific time slot. In others you just use the bath when it is empty. It depends on the place. For example i arrive at 14h and is normal to go to the bath as soon as i arrive?I would not call it normal. Depending on the ryokan, the bath may not be ready that early or it may. Many ryokan don't accept check-in before 15:00. At larger ryokan, the bath is likely to be ready by 14:00 and it would be normal to take a bath from around 15:00 or 16:00. It really depends on the ryokan.
|
|
by Uji
|
rate this post as useful
|
|
What Uji said is extremely helpful, though, I thought I could add a bit ...
I stayed in a lot of Ryokans and some allowed us to go at any time while most allowed in the evenings. When I stayed in a dormitory during a study abroad, we couldn't shower or bathe until the late afternoon hours. During my homestay experience, I was expected to bathe in the evening.
From my experiences, when it comes to onsen/public bathing, most of the time it happens in the late afternoon until evening.
|
|
by Amunet
|
rate this post as useful
|
reply to this thread