Soaked in Tradition

by Carol Taylor (Australia)

Making a local connection Japan

Have you ever walked totally naked through the snow in the dark with only the faint glow of light to guide you? I have and it was possibly one of the most frightening but also the most memorable moments of my life. Our family had travelled to Japan for the famous powder snow on a family skiing holiday, but I also wanted to satisfy my cultural urge and experience some real Japanese life. Starting with a traditional natural hot spring bath known as an Onsen. Situated on Lake Shikotsu on the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido was the Murakoma Onsen Hotel. I had been told it was one of the best, a place where the Japanese came to partake in this ancient pastime. For a culture that seemed so conventional, why did they all get naked in a bath together? “You know you want to do it, you’ll regret it if you don’t” was what my husband told me as my alarm clock chimed next to me. I rolled over on my Tatami mat, which had been a surprisingly comfortable bed for the night. He was right. I had come all this way, I had to overcome my fears and embrace Japanese tradition fully, even if that meant going fully naked in front of complete strangers. I quietly stepped over my sleeping children and with my newly forged courage, I headed towards the female only onsen at the end of the corridor. Inside I found an open locker and proceeded to nervously undress totally naked. Fortunately there was no one else in the room. Hoping to see something familiar to guide me, I glanced at the signs. My high school Japanese momentarily came back to me and I thought I recognised the word ‘onsen’ written above a door. I decided this must be the way. Opening the door, my breath was instantly filled with air so cold I thought my lungs would freeze. I was surrounded by a forest of native trees with branches heavily laden with fresh snow. “I can do this,” I told myself. With snow underfoot, I advanced towards the lake in all my nudity. As I rounded the last corner, I could see a single solitary figure looking out over the lake in the distance. He though, was fully clothed. At that moment, it felt like he had sensed I was there and turned. Our eyes met and a look of horror came over both of us as I realised this was not where I should be. With pure panic, I took off at breakneck speed back up the path. Darting through the door which I had exited minutes earlier to find more eyes staring at me. This time though there seemed to be amusement in them not horror. One of the elderly Japanese ladies standing in front of me just as naked as I was, pointed to the sign above the door and said in broken English “That’s for swimming in summer” while smiling to herself. Coming over to me she guided me to another door partially hidden behind the lockers, “You want to be in here,” she added kindly. As I entered the onsen, I found the nearest bathing station, modestly copying the others around me and sat on a minuscule stool that was clearly not made for my western bottom!! I followed the strict etiquette to first wash before entering the onsen. After this cleansing ritual I made my way to the outdoor natural hot spring. Quietly I immersed myself into the steaming water just as the sun was emerging over Mt Eniwadake in the distance. The sun shone over the mirror like surface of this breathtakingly beautiful lake. Tiny snowflakes start falling and attaching themselves to my eyelashes and hair. If part of the onsen experience is connecting with nature I now understand why this is a Japanese passion. I chuckled to myself, “what a story to tell though.”