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My two complaints about Onsen are: 1. They are gender separated. So when travelling as a straight couple or in groups you likely can’t share the experience tog

My two complaints about Onsen are: 1. They are gender separated. So when travelling as a straight couple or in groups you likely can’t share the experience together. Some see this as a plus. I see it as a minus. Put it down to personal preference. 2. Must be nude. Ok well I guess I’m just a prude, but I don’t enjoy the concept of being nude in front of others. Rules out German style spas too. 3. Bonus issue. Tattoos. Because of the criminal association with Tats in Japan you can possibly find it hard to use an Onsen (Ie banned).

gryson 3y ago
There's a solution to all of your problems: kashikiri (private / reserved) onsen. These are smaller, private onsen designed for families or couples (or, I suppose, the shy foreigner). They're fairly common.
deanc 3y ago
I’m sure the Japanese have many complaints about Western culture when travelling too. Ultimately these are their traditions and we should respect them. I visited an Onsen recently in Bangkok (artificial of course) and the locals were very vocal about any perceived lack of decorum.
- yardstick 3y ago
  I’m not saying we shouldn’t respect them. I’m just saying they aren’t for everyone and these items in particular weren’t really discussed in the article.
  - johnnyanmac 3y ago
    it's 3 parts, so they may or may not be covered. But even as a westerner, I figure the whole "must be nude" was a given, public or not. It is still technically a bath after all, despite technically showering before submerging yourself. But that may just be the decades of Japanese media exposure making something seemingly obvious to me.
mitthrowaway2 3y ago
There are mixed-gender onsen if you prefer, although they are becoming less common. But if you have difficulty being nude in front of others, you probably don't prefer that. Best to stay at a ryokan that has a private onsen attached.

gryson 3y ago

There's a solution to all of your problems: kashikiri (private / reserved) onsen. These are smaller, private onsen designed for families or couples (or, I suppose, the shy foreigner). They're fairly common.

deanc 3y ago

I’m sure the Japanese have many complaints about Western culture when travelling too. Ultimately these are their traditions and we should respect them. I visited an Onsen recently in Bangkok (artificial of course) and the locals were very vocal about any perceived lack of decorum.

yardstick 3y ago
I’m not saying we shouldn’t respect them. I’m just saying they aren’t for everyone and these items in particular weren’t really discussed in the article.
- johnnyanmac 3y ago
  it's 3 parts, so they may or may not be covered. But even as a westerner, I figure the whole "must be nude" was a given, public or not. It is still technically a bath after all, despite technically showering before submerging yourself. But that may just be the decades of Japanese media exposure making something seemingly obvious to me.

mitthrowaway2 3y ago

There are mixed-gender onsen if you prefer, although they are becoming less common. But if you have difficulty being nude in front of others, you probably don't prefer that. Best to stay at a ryokan that has a private onsen attached.