The Full Monty

While we were in Sounkyo in Hokkaido, I finally went to an onsen. The hot water was a welcome contrast to the snow and ice at the Frozen Waterfall festival. And, it was a typically Japanese cultural experience that I am very glad to have had!

But, I definitely wasn't sure about the whole thing going into it. Reconciling being naked in front of strangers and being able to enjoy the relaxing/calming effect of the water seemed impossible.

The basic rules of onsens are as follows: most baths are separated by gender, you cannot wear anything into the bath, you must shower thoroughly and rinse before entering the bath and you cannot let soap, shampoo, or your towel touch the bath water. When the onsen is in a hotel or spa, most bathers go to the changing rooms wearing only the provided yukata.

I paced around the changing room for a very long time - reading and re-reading the onsen etiquette rules. In other words, I was stalling big time! Finally, I entered the bathing room where maybe two dozen Japanese women were already enjoying the showers and the hot springs.

The room was warm, steamy and actually quite pleasant. The showers were were accompanied by small stools that you could sit on while you scrubbed. There were also buckets that you could fill with water for rinsing. As was the case here, it is common for shampoo and body soap to be provided. After the showers, it was finally time to enter the hot spring itself. It was really relaxing and the temperature was just right. Goldilocks would have approved!

The best part -- my fears were completely unfounded. No one was being creepy. No one was staring at anyone else. No one left the onsen because I had arrived. Being a foreigner in an onsen wasn't the curiosity I had heard it might be. So, to any of you future Japan travelers - I highly recommend trying out an onsen. You'll be glad you did.

Frozen Waterfalls

For our trip to Hokkaido, we booked a package deal through a travel agency. This was an adventure since we were the only two non-Japanese on the 45 person tour. On the long drives between the sights all weekend, we learned a lot of interesting information from our tour guides, but it was exhausting to hear them continually talking while trying to process what we heard. I think I've figured out why toddlers sleep so much.

The first winter festival we attended in Hokkaido was the Sounkyo Frozen Waterfall Festival. (aka Hyobaku Ice Festival) Sounkyo is a small city in a formerly volcanic mountainous area in central Hokkaido famous for its river gorge, waterfalls, and hot springs (onsens). It is within the boundaries of Daisetsuzan National Park and is absolutely beautiful. Being somewhat difficult to get to, it still feels like "real" wilderness.

The festival itself was a freezing winter fantasy land with giant ice castles, ice pillars, dozens of corporate sponsored igloos, ice sculptures, and of course, frozen waterfalls lit up with colored lights. The festival was located along the Ishikari River, which was not frozen and provided many scenic views.

One highlight was the tube sledding course that was carved into the flatlands along the side of the river. We rented an inner tube and I went sledding down the hills several times. It was so much fun! Since it was snowing while we were there, the sledding was even better... but maybe a little bit colder too.