How Growing Up With Japanese Bathhouses Shaped My View On Body Image & Wellness
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One of the first things I do whenever I touch down in Japan is visit an onsen, or hot spring/bathhouse in English. It’s a place for people to gather, wash, unwind, and soak together. The “together” part might turn some people off, but visiting ryokans or bathhouses with families was about as normal as dining out together. Growing up, I’d visit these onsens with female friends and family, sit side by side, and scrub the day away before submerging in near-boiling waters to talk about our days. Around us, a sea of naked, unbothered bodies ages 5 to 95. On my most recent visit, I realized two things: how profoundly restorative it is to devote hours solely to tending to the body, and the healthy perspective I gained from witnessing women’s bodies in all their stages of life.
The History
Japan's onsen tradition grew from the land itself: volcanic terrain that pushed hot springs to the surface, pooling in valleys. In ancient times, Buddhists frequently used these onsens as part of their spiritual cleansing rituals. The water was believed to have healing properties, which naturally attracted warriors and emperors and eventually, civilians. It’s a long-standing tradition in Japan now, with plenty of man-made onsens available in urban regions as well, not just out by the countryside.
Initial Thoughts
As a beauty writer, I’ve received plenty of spa-like treatments by some of the best people in the industry. I’ve had my knots massaged out of my shoulders, received complimentary facials, engaged in group yoga classes, and had aura readings. But no wellness treatment quite compares to the therapeutic experience of going to an onsen.
Having an expert tend to your body is one thing. But I think a special kind of healing happens when you care for your own body with your own hands. Walking stark naked into the washroom with a bunch of strangers, equally butt-naked, feels so comically freeing. We’re just bodies, you realize. And while, of course, you don’t fix your gaze on any one person, your peripheral vision registers just how varied the female form can be. And that’s when you realize all bodies are, in fact, so beautiful—it’s not just a marketing slogan.
The Process
Cleanse
You pick a plastic stool and crouch your naked butt onto its cold surface. First rule of onsen: you must wash before entering the hot spring. For the next ten to fifteen minutes, you’re sitting next to a grandma who’s a regular and a child who’s copying her mother’s every move. It’s the lack of secrecy that makes you feel like fish lined up at the Tsukiji market—it’s too comically casual to feel any embarrassment or shame. Your gaze, however, remains solely focused on the reflection in front of you. Your eyes are at once kind to you, freed of any judgment and normalized among other people. You receive the complimentary shampoo and conditioner and get to work on your hair, your face, your body, all while gazing into your own eyes.
Dip
Next, you wrap your hair into the tiny towel provided at the entrance (no, it’s not big enough to wrap around your body) and ensure you never submerge your head into the water. For the next hour, you get to cook your body as your mind wanders in every which direction. No phone, no music, just you and the water and a bunch of women minding their own business. If you thought your shower thoughts were creative, just imagine how wild those imaginations can run when you have over an hour to engage with them.
I’ve been to onsens with outdoor infinity “pools” overlooking lakes and mountains—if you don’t think having your bare chest out to a view like that isn’t therapeutic, I don’t know what to tell you.
Steam
Most onsens also offer cold plunges, steam rooms, and saunas. You go from one station to the next and repeat the process until your body is properly pruned, and it’s time to head back into the locker room, where the vanity stations await.
Dry
Once you slip into the provided yukata, head over to the vanity station, each equipped with its own blow dryer, body lotion, and hair mist. You spend yet another thirty to forty minutes making yourself look pretty, blow-drying your hair, while melting into the relaxed sensation of your softened muscles. On your mind: the food you’re about to devour at the attached food hall.
Final Thoughts
Japan is a conservative country, yes, but when it comes to onsens, we merely see our bodies as tools for life. Something natural that requires cleaning and maintenance, something spiritual that needs relaxation and peace. I’m lucky to have been exposed to this normalization of the naked body from such a young age, knowing that no matter how much I gain or lose weight, not a single person at the onsen cares. These few hours I dedicate to cleansing the mind and body have me leaving the bathhouse as a whole new person. I can go solo, I can go with friends… It’s always going to be a healing experience.
