Nudity 101

Partially due to the chorus of "No Day But Today" running though my head I decided not to let life's "opportunities" pass me by this weekend. I agreed to take part in what I will dub, "Public Nudity 101." a.k.a. "Robin takes three n00bz to a hot spring." While slightly nervous about an upcoming new experience it is best to contact a native for advice.

Colleen: I'm going to an onsen.
Yasuko: Why?
Colleen: Uh...I shouldn't let life's experiences pass me by? I should experience culture?
Yasuko: Foreigners always think they have to "do Japanese things." They are always busy "doing things." I wish they would realize most Japanese things are stupid and not worth doing.
Colleen: ...Don't you teach Calligraphy?

So, having thoroughly gained confidence I set out at the butt-crack of dawn, so early in fact that I had the privilege of hearing the "Happy Morning Song" the plays over the loudspeaker in my town. The one that I have finally learned to sleep through.

After a train ride and a bus ride, we arrived. We were given wrist bands with bar code identification. (For ease of identifying bodies?). After scanning us in we were given our regulation yukata and socks. We changed into our Yukata and had the pleasure of wearing them for the three minutes it took to walk to the next set of lockers where you remove your Yukata.

Holding our regulation mini-towl in as modest a fashion as possible we proceded to matching showering cubicles that awakened long-dead memories of the movie Mr. Baseball.

You know that scene in My Fair Lady where Eliza arrives at the ball and she is standing at the top of the stairs and everyone is watching and wondering who she is and where she come from? Well, being a foreigner at an onsen is like that, except everyone at the ball is naked.

Mostly people tried to mask their staring. When we moved to the pool that had waterfall massage jets a pair of wrinkly old ladies commented on how young and pale we are and asked us what country we were from. Then they moved along and told us not to mind them they are just jealous old ladies. If we hadn't all been naked it would've been cute.

I actually had a really nice time. The myth holds true; an onsen is quite relaxing. And Nagashima spa-land did have a kind of cleanly style. I don't know if I will return, but it is definately a fascinating new entry into my "Stuff I did in Japan" log.

(P.S. Nicholas is actually the one who had that conversation with Yasuko, but I like to tell stories in the first person)