Recommendations about Japanese culture for foreigners

When you want to relax or deal with your tiredness and stress, what do you usually do? In my case, when I feel heavy stress and fatigue, I try to go to “ONSEN (hot spring)” or take a bath to make me relax. To take a bath and ONSEN is one of popular way to relax and release our stress in Japan. I’m proud of ONSEN as Japanese Culture. There are so many ONSEN, and some famous them are one of important tourist attraction in Japan. ONSEN have not only effect of relaxing and relieving stress, but also it can make better our health. Some famous ONSEN include great ingredients that can heal disease or pain. If you go to ONSEN, you should go “Roten Buro (open-air bath)”. It is my most favorite kind of ONSEN.
It is made in outside and we can see nice view with taking ONSEN. So ONSEN is great place for us to make our mind and body refresh. But ONSEN is a little expensive. So we can’t frequently go there. So I would like to introduce for you to easy way to enjoy ONSEN.

First, you can go to “Sentou (public bath)” with cheap fee. There are so many Sentou in Japan, and also in Hirakata city. This picture is one of Hirakata city’s Sentou, “MIyanosaka Onsen”.
I can go there about 3 minutes on foot, but I’ve never tried to enter there. In Japan, Sentou is one of place to be able to meet neighboring people. I think it is good opportunity to make a connection with our neighborhood. My grandfather loves to go to Sentou. He goes there almost every morning and also takes a bath in my house every night. So he always smells like soap.

Second, in Japan almost all house have own bathtub and we run a bath almost every day. So a lot of unique products that we can enjoy bath time are produced. There is much kind of these products in Japan, and we can buy it easily. My recommendation product includes famous ONSEN’s ingredients.
So we can feel like we are in famous ONSEN just in our house whenever we like.

Finally, if you go to ONSEN, probably you will hesitate because we have to take off our clothes in public place. I also have hesitation and am ashamed. So I would like to introduce about “Ashiyu”. It is exclusive ONSEN for legs.
We don’t have to pay any money for almost all it. And you don’t need to take off your all clothes, so it’s ok only to remove your shoes and socks. Ashiyu is popular way to enjoy ONSEN without circumstance in Japan. In Kyoto, there is "Ashiyu Café”. In that place we can not only take Ashiyu, but also drink something and spend a good time with your friends.

So even if it is difficult for you to go to ONSEN, there is some way to enjoy ONSEN in Japan. While you are in Japan, please try to enjoy ONSEN!




First picture is borrowed from this site
http://image-search.yahoo.co.jp/search?ei=UTF-8&p=%E9%9C%B2%E5%A4%A9%E9%A2%A8%E5%91%82

Fifth picture is borrowed from this site
http://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp
(This is my home town's site.)