Going to a Japanese Onsen Is Easily the Best Self-Love Practice

Add this to your bucket list now

You are missing out if you’ve yet been to an onsen in Japan.

Onsen — the Japanese word for Hot Spring, outshines all other experiences in Japan, in my opinion.

Whether you are visiting Japan for its anime, food, martial arts, or even snowboarding, make a day out for the onsen. You won’t regret it.

Because Japanese Onsen is not just a hot tub, it’s much more than that.

It’s a place where you can find love for yourself again.

This is how it all started

I‘ve never been to a place so confronting before onsen.

‘Take all your clothes off,’ I was told by my aunt, who brought me to the onsen when I visited Japan for the first time years ago.

It was a pretty awkward experience for a teenager who started to feel conscious about her body. No one can see me naked — I thought to myself. And in front of my aunt…and strangers? Nudity is taboo in my conservative Asian upbringing; this is way beyond my comfort zone.

But it was too late; I was already in the onsen. So I just anxiously did what I was asked to.

My young brain was feeling extremely overwhelmed at the time. Little did I know, this onsen experience set the tone for some life lessons and self-discovery.

You are your worst enemy

There is a saying — you are your most prominent critic.

I found the truth in an onsen.

I’ve already given a little spoiler alert. Yes, you are naked in the onsen.

If you google onsen etiquette, you will see multiple blog posts discussing all these rules you must comply with before enjoying your hot spring experience.

Being naked in front of strangers in a public bath is quite foreign to many people.

Don’t panic. Men and women have separate baths, so you will only be unclothed in front of your gender group unless you go to the private bath in some higher-end onsen hotels.

Still, it can be hard to imagine.

When you enter an onsen, there is an open changing area where you remove all your clothes and put them in a basket. All you need to bring to the hot bath area is yourself and a little hand towel.

The towel can barely cover your private parts, and you will then walk into a shower area to clean yourself like when you shower at home.

You can then soak yourself in the hot baths after a thorough clean.

But hang on, remember that hand towel? Please don’t dip that into the water. You can leave it on the side or fold it on top of your head because that towel is now ‘dirty’ and is not supposed to be in the water.

This is a very nerve-wracking moment, especially if it’s your first time. Naturally, you would want to use the towel to cover as much as possible.

But can I tell you something? It’s ok, because no one will look at you.

No one would pay any attention to your unwanted muffin top, the thighs full of cellulite, body hair or that wrinkly body.

Next time when your inner critics start to creep in, imagine you are in the onsen. You are the only one who worries about your appearance, and your ego keeps you from being seen.

Uncomfortable is the prerequisite for comfort

A few years after my first experience visiting an onsen, I moved to Japan on a working holiday visa.

And I had the opportunity to visit an onsen as often as possible.

I went there with new friends and colleagues. And I went with my best friend, mother, sister and nieces when they visited.

Aside from my Japanese colleagues who are used to the onsen etiquette, I can see that everyone was extremely uncomfortable the first time going there.

My best friend was going to bring a swimsuit. I told her she wouldn’t be allowed in. She tried to find ways around it.

After some convincing and 30 minutes of walking around the block later, she decided to give it a go. I said she could leave anytime if she chose to.

I left her alone and got ready for the onsen, I knew she would be fine, but I wanted to give her some mental space to soak everything in. A few minutes later, she joined me at the shower booth beside me.

“Hey, this is not bad at all; I am enjoying it,” she spoke in good spirits.

That’s when I had this light bulb moment — every time we try something new, it’s uncomfortable. But it can quickly become something you feel comfortable in if you step out of your comfort zone.

Strength is within you

Onsen is not only limited to hot baths.

If you go to a slightly bigger onsen place, you will always find one bath filled with cold water.

That’s because you are supposed to do a cold plunge before going to the hot baths.

Traditionally, onsens are a place for people to seek healing for physical pain.

The secret lies in the power of the natural spring that flows to the hot baths. They are not your regular hot water.

These natural springs contain minerals that can help alleviate pain and stress stored in your body. They can also help to heal skin problems.

I was once told if you go to an authentic onsen, you can still feel your body heat even 15–20 minutes after your bath.

And one of the great ways to heal is to do a cold plunge before going to the hot baths.

The alteration between hot and cold can regulate your nervous system and help you destress.

I remember it took me a long time to try that cold plunge. The first 10 seconds were almost unbearable. But I kept breathing, and then I started to calm down. I could feel the heat flowing through my body.

Two minutes later, I felt no urge to leave the cold tub.

It made me realize we all have inner strength. Like the cold plunge, you can choose to jump out, or you can utilize your strength to sit through it.

It’s ok to feel vulnerable

After so many onsen experiences, being naked in front of strangers in an onsen became natural for me.

But it wasn’t like that for the first few times.

I was always conscious and worried that people would comment about my body behind my back.

I feel vulnerable. After all, nothing can be more vulnerable than being naked in front of strangers.

But the onsen is a safe place with no judgment.

You are welcome to walk around (naked) as long as you are inside the bathing area.

I have seen an elderly lady hunching her back, walking from one bath to another, naked of course. She was in her element and didn’t care if anyone was watching.

And then I noticed I never once thought she looked ugly, was too old, or didn’t have great skin. Instead, I admired her courage.

That’s when I realized that your vulnerability could be seen as courageous in other people’s eyes.

Confidence is self-love

Being courageous also has a lot to do with your self-esteem.

If you are confident, you are more inclined to try new things and accept failure as part of the process of being successful.

Unfortunately, many of you have low self-esteem.

You worry about how people see you; you believe you aren’t good enough. You are reluctant to go outside of your comfort zone.

Going to an onsen can change that narrative.

Because everyone there was busy minding their own business, you will soon realize there is nothing to worry about.

“To overcome fear is the quickest way to gain your self-confidence.”―Roy T. Bennett

Your fear is just negative self-talk you manufacture in your head; they are not real.

The more you go to an onsen, the more you feel comfortable about yourself; You will slowly build confidence, including walking freely in the bathing area naked, taking showers in front of others, embracing your body shape and noticing you are just as beautiful.

As I reminisce about my many onsen experiences, I now understand why I still prefer Japanese onsens, even though there are hot tubs everywhere.

It was an experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone, accepting who I am and being confident in my own skin.

I hope I have convinced you to pay a visit if you ever go to Japan. It will be an experience that stays with you for your lifetime.