General Info: Part 1 - Onsen Glossary

I'm going to update this glossary constantly. If there are any onsen-related words you need explanation, please leave a comment. I'll follow up.

• ashiyu（足湯）: Foot bath. Usually free of charge except famous tourist spots like Arashiyama (Kyoto) and Yufuin (Oita). See the picture of this post.
• datsuijo（脱衣所）: Changing room.
• ganban-yoku（岩盤浴）: Stone sauna.
• furo（風呂）: Bath. Often means bath room as well. Ofuro is more polite expression.
• hinoki-buro（檜風呂）： Bath tub made of Japanese cypress woods.
• iwa-buro（岩風呂）：Bath tub made of rocks.
• kashikiri-buro（貸切風呂）: Private bath. You can share a bath with your family or friends. Same as kazoku-buro.
• kazoku-buro（家族風呂）: Private bath same as kashikiri-buro. Literally means family bath.
• konyoku（混浴）: Gender mixed bathing. Pronounce as kon-yoku.
• kousen（鉱泉）: Cold mineral springs.
• kyodo-yokujo（共同浴場）: Public bath. Admission fee is usually cheaper than sento.
• mizu-buro（水風呂）：Cold water bath.
• neyu（寝湯）: Lying Bath. Shallow bath with about 20 cm deep. Lying down for soaking.
• ofuro（お風呂）: Bath and bathroom. More polite than "furo".
• onna-yu（女湯）: Ladies' bath.
• onsen（温泉）: Hot springs. Also means hot spring bath, hot spring bath house, and whole hot spring gushing area depending on situation. Keep in mind an "ONSEN" named bath house sometimes supply heated tap or well water instead of hot springs (It's legal). See also Wikipedia.
• onsen tamago（温泉卵）：Eggs boiled with onsen. Softer than usual boiled egg.
• otoko-yu（男湯）: Men's bath.
• rei-kousen（冷鉱泉）: Cold mineral spring. Same as kousen.
• rotenburo（露天風呂）: Open-air bath.
• ryokan（旅館）: Japanese style inn. Generally serves dinner and breakfast for overnight staying guests. Many onsen ryokans accept day visit soaking.
• senmenki（洗面器）: Washing bowl.
• sento（銭湯）: Communal bath house for those who doesn't have a bath room at home. Some of them supply hot springs. Most of them are family run. All sentos are under authority of local governments and each prefecture set the addmission fee. Gender mixed bathing never allowed. See also Wikipedia.
• super sento（スーパー銭湯）: Value added sento with ganban-yoku, restaurant, barber, massage parlor, nail salon, and etc.
• uchiyu（内湯）: Usually means indoor bath, sometimes means bathroom inside ryokan.
• utaseyu（打たせ湯）：Pelting water. A steady stream of hot water cascading one's shoulders or back. Massaging effect expected.
• yukata（浴衣）: Cotton kimono. Almost all ryokans provide yukata for staying guest as bathrobe and pajama (Don't take away). See also Wikipedia.

Two Public baths of Arima Onsen to open free of charge in early June

The Kin-no-yu（金の湯）opened in 2002. (photo: Dec.2003)

Kobe City decided to open the two famous public baths of Arima Onsen, Kin-no-yu and Gin-no-yu free of charge from June 1 to June 5 2009. This is a part of revitalization plan of Arima Onsen.

Visitors to Arima Onsen in Kobe City, Hyogo Pref. are decreasing sharply as the number of swine flu patients in Kobe City reached more than one hundred. About twenty thousand people cancelled reservations of ryokans and hotels, the loss of Arima Onsen is estimated more than four hundred million yen. The swine flu patients in Kobe City and around area has already turned decreasing.

[Update] Kin-no-yu and Gin-no-yu will be free of charge again for one month from July 17 to August 16, 2009.

Ashiyu (foot bath) outside of the Kin-no-yu is free anyday.

Sakinoyu, Shirahama Onsen, Wakayama Pref.

Sakinoyu in the late afternoon. Men's bath at left of the wall is said to have better view. (photo: Jan. 2009)

Shirahama Onsen(白浜温泉) is known as one of the three oldest onsens in Japan (the other two are Arima and Dogo). The sodium hot spring is abundant still now, attracting many visitors mainly from Kansai area as it's easy to access from Osaka. I visited five of six public baths so far and found Sakinoyu（崎の湯）was the most recommendable.

The Sakinoyu has more than 1350-year history. It is said that Saimei Tenno (37th sovereign empress) took bath here in AD 658. Of course the original bath has gone and only a signbord tells its history.

Iwaburo at mid stage. This was hottest at my visit.

Aside from the history, its location makes Sakinoyu very popular among visitors. Just imagine an open-air bath by sea shore. You can enjoy sea view, sound of waves, and sometimes sea splashes while soaking. Be careful not to soak too long as Shirahama Onsen is hot and thick.

There are three bath tubs here. One at the highest stage is wooden bath, and Lower two are Iwaburo (rock baths). The bath on lowest stage is nearest to sea. For men, there are just two baths (no wooden bath).

Ladies to right, mens to left. Stone curving says "Japan's oldest Sakinoyu".

◆Sakinoyu, Shirahama Onsen（白浜温泉崎の湯）

Type: Gender separated open-air bath. Day visit only. Swim suites not allowed.

Address: 1668 Yuzaki, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama Pref.
(和歌山県西牟婁郡白浜町湯崎1668)

Location: 33.676642,135.337014

Business hour: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM in July and August)

Holiday: Wednesday

Admission fee: ¥300 Buy your ticket at a vending machine.

Equipment: Small lockers for valuables outside of the changing space (¥100 neccessary). Lockers inside of changing space are free, but some locks don't work.

Access: Take a bus to Sandanbeki（三段壁）from Shirahama Station and get off at Yuzaki （湯崎）bus stop. Then walk forward for a few minutes and you'll find a red sgin board (See left photo).

Express trains named Kuroshio, Super Kuroshio, and Ocean Arrow serve from Kyoto and Osaka to Shirahama via Wakayama.


Link: Map of the Sakinoyu in English

My rating (A - E): B

More tips: You can try "reverse egg" at Kamakura Shoten nearby (see photo below). Onsen boiled egg (onsen tamago) usually has soft white and almost liquid yolk, but onsen tamago here has softer white and almost solid yolk. ¥70

Reverse eggs are in the turtle shaped tub.

Rotenburo at Yunokami Onsen, Fukushima Pref. Closed Down

I heard it's empty now. (Photo: Courtesy of Ishida-san, both shooted in Oct. 2008 by him)

Real bad news... The famous rotenburo of Yunokami Onsen in Aizu Area, Fukushima Pref. has been closing down since May 7th 2009, likely for good.

Officially the reason was explained that it's against the Japanese Public Bath Regulations as there was no changing room/space around the bath. But this gender mixed open-air bath had been available for about 30 years without changing room. Nobody is satisfied with the explanation.

Many say the real reason of closing down must be increasing visitors without common sense. Leaving garbage after eating and drinking around the bath, camping overnight although not permitted, making big noise, and so on are pointed out.

You can't see the reflection of the hot spring at lower right anymore.

【Rekated Post】 Shimizuya Ryokan, Yunokami Onsen, Fukushima Pref. (Feb. 15, 2010)

Huaqing Spa Hotel, Beijing, China

 
Beijiners' family hang out for weekends. The yellowish slightly muddy hot spring has smooth touch.(photo: May 2009)

Spent my Golden Week, a Japanese spring holiday season in Beijing, China. This was my first visit to Beijing. There are some hot springs in and around Beijing, I visited four of them besides the famous tourist spots like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

 
The giant panda wasn't so cute.

The Huaqing Spa Hotel is known for the first large scale garden-style open-air baths in Beijing. It's easy to visit for foreigners as it's within walking distance from the subway station.

I felt the admission fee of ¥89 (nearly 1300 yen) was a bit expensive compared to the other consumer prices (Usually I don't spend more than 1000yen for soaking in Japan). Hot spring soaking might be a snobbish leisure for beijiners.

 
There are also some indoor baths.

◆Huaqing Spa Hotel

Type: Gender Mixed. Swim suites necessary.

Address: No.2 Jia Linshuiqiao, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Business hour: 9:00 AM to 02:00 AM

Holiday: None

Admission fee: ¥89 (¥128 including a meal at the cafeteria)

Equipment (for day visit bathing): Open-air baths, indoor baths, a swimming pool, a cafeteria. Free Bath towels.

Access: About 10 minutes walk from the Lishuiqiao Station of the Subway Line five & thirteen.

Link: Official website of Huaqing Spa Hotel in English

My rating (out of five): 3