Since I have started to be interested in Japanese culture, I really wanted to visit a Japanese Onsen.
Poland is located in the middle of Europe and there are only a few hot springs in the center area of South Poland. Moreover, Onsen is more popular in Japan than Poland and it had been a part of Japanese culture from the old times.

My first visit in Onsen

Kanagawa Prefecture is famous for hot springs. I came to Yugawara to see Yassa Festival, but I used the opportunity and visited Onsen as well. Yutoro Hot Spring is located on a hill. It was really exhausting to get there at an extremely hot summer day. Anyway, it was worth climbing all the way to the top since all the efforts will be paid off once you get to the hot spring and relaxing in hot water. During the walk, you can admire the plantation of Mandarin Orange, which is a pride of the region. Watching the plants makes the walk more tolerable.
Before I came to Onsen, I had checked out the details about visiting a Japanese hot spring. However, visiting an Onsen is a very interesting, fresh experience for me. When I had taken off my shoes and bought a ticket, I came to the women’s changing room. Japanese people enjoy hot springs in a style of completely naked, that’s why there are two separated parts of Onsen for women and men. Before coming to Onsen, the most important thing is to wash your body and hair precisely before entering a bath. In the women’s part there are two open air baths. It’s convenient and enough place for everyone, even though it’s a bit crowded. In addition to great relaxations, the water in a hot spring also has a therapeutic effect on your body and health.

Summary

For foreigners, when you first visit an Onsen, it could be a little bit awkward. We are not used to specific rules and don’t know what exactly do in the specific situation. Nevertheless, I think the most important thing is that through that kind of experience, we can learn something about the other culture and try to understand it better. If you want to get an unforgettable experience, you should definitely visit the Yutoro Hot Spring. Unfortunately, taking a photo inside the Onsen is forbidden, when you walk out from the building, you can admire the beautiful landscapes of mountains and Sagami Bay, which are presented on the picture showed in the article.

Weronika Golubska

Information

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* This article was written by a trainee from overseas. Please note that there might be spelling and grammar mistakes.