Appreciating Hot Springs in Japan and Back Home

Before I came to Japan two decades ago, I had never experienced a hot spring for bathing. It’s not that there aren’t any where I come from. Just like Japan, my home province of British Columbia in Canada is located on the Ring of Fire, the tectonic and volcanic rim of the Pacific Ocean. British Columbia boasts excellent wild and tamed hot springs, and even a circuit of a dozen hot springs in the Canadian Rockies. So why had I never soaked in a hot spring? When you look at the map of British Columbia, you’ll see it’s vast and getting to a hot spring requires hours of driving and possibly hiking in. So imagine my delight when I landed in a small town on Shikoku with a half dozen onsen spas within easy reach by bicycle and train.

In that first week living in a small coastal town, a Canadian colleague invited me for a soak in a local onsen. For me, it was both a relief after a first bewildering week and an exciting first experience. Not knowing the conventions and being a little giddy, I had brought a camera with me. My Canadian buddy wrapped in towels waited for other bathers to leave the bath, and begged the favor of an onsen attendant to take a souvenir photo. I don’t know who laughed harder, we two bathers or the staff member. Pro tip - do not take photos in an onsen. It’s not done.

For that photo, we wrapped up in our towels for modesty’s sake. Like other first-time onsen goers, I was a little hesitant to bare it all in change rooms, but as Helloalissa says, don’t fear the onsen. Unless you’re breaking bathing etiquette, nobody is looking at you as they’re too absorbed with their own relaxation.

The Japanese onsen experience made me aware of those hot spring retreats back home on the west coast of Canada, so on my trips home, I sought them out. They’re not easy to get to, so I went on an odyssey traveling by ferry, bus, and zodiac boat to the west coast of Vancouver Island. Up the coast from the small town of Tofino is Hot Springs Cove with a searing hot spring gushing over rocks into tidal pools on the shore. It’s not terribly remote but takes a bit of effort to get to, and the rewards are whale watching, eagle spotting, and ocean views from a wild source of thermal water. I realized both how powerful natural hot springs can be, and how lucky I am to have easy access to hot springs in Japan.

I came to appreciate the onsen experience for the health benefits, too. Onsen contributes to wellness by soothing sore muscles and relieving skin conditions. For mental health, too, they’re a refuge from your troubles.

When the huge earthquake struck in March 2011, the contents of my home were rattled and broken, but the building stood up well. After cleaning up my shattered kitchen, watching too much news, and enduring aftershocks, I wanted a cup of tea to settle down a bit. The gas supply had been knocked out meaning no hot water to wash up. I retreated to the local onsen to soak and recover from the stress of the ongoing disaster. Just that one hour of self-care was refreshing enough for me to calm down in order to tackle whatever would happen next.

The local onsen where I retreated from the stress of 3/11

The easy access to onsens in towns and cities is one of my favorite aspects of living in Japan. I'm so grateful for the waters in which to luxuriate and unwind. When I can travel back to Canada again, I hope to explore more of the hot springs there, tamed and wild.