ARIMA Hot Springs aka I love Onsens!

One of my very favourite things to do in Japan is visit an onsen. No, this is not something for tourists to write home about but rather a true Japanese experience, and I must say, to me, this is second only to eating in Japan.

An onsen is a hot spring bath that men and women frequent in Japan. I visited two last year and fell in love with them, so this year, Mike and I traveled a couple of hours by train to Arima, a town located up in the mountains, where you will find the oldest hot spring area in Japan.

We stayed at a Ryokan (hotel) named Gekkoen Yugetsusanso (http://www.gekkoen.co.jp/yuugetu/index.html), in a traditional Japanese room with tatami flooring and futons. We were served tea and sweets by a young woman dressed in a beautiful kimono. All the traditions and customs were preserved, where they bow, gesture gently, and close the sliding doors using the appropriate hand at each stage.

Our room had a separate sitting area where you overlooked a flowing river. You could open the sliding door and find yourself in a beautiful Japanese garden.


Then we changed into our yukatas, which are traditional wear for frequenting onsens in Japan, and geta, slippers worn with socks. This was truly my ‘Japan moment’ when I felt the most connected and the farthest from my daily routine. I could have twirled in that yukata for hours….

The onsens were incredible. There were three of them, including an outdoor one. Men and women go separately, of course, and I knew the protocol from my last visit so I enjoyed every minute of soaking in the hot springs…..Sorry folks, not allowed to take pictures in these areas for obvious reasons!

Dinner afterwards was fantastic. We enjoyed some of the best sashimi I have ever had, and the delicacies kept on coming.

I had four onsens/baths during my stay and if severe dehydration wasn’t a threat I would have had many more! The Japanese say that there is a double benefit when one enjoys an onsen (spa):

1. Tenchi Koka – location-change effect, where just by changing your environment and everyday routine you will benefit from the hot spring experience
2. Yakuri Koka – pharmacological effect, where one benefits from the minerals and other properties in the spa.

Combined, these effects help the body improve its natural ability to cure itself. Regardless, it was pure bliss and relaxation…I highly recommend that everyone visit a Japanese onsen in their lifetime.

Mike is just a little too tall for the room...

Happy bathing everyone!