Before coming to France, I spent three days in Tokyo and stayed at three different hot spring hotels, getting a thorough taste of Japan’s onsen culture. Although I hadn’t been to a public bathhouse in ten years, I unexpectedly found it wasn’t that hard to adjust. Basically, I just had to brazen it out. Everyone shared an unspoken understanding, and there was no eye contact at all.
Before soaking, you sit and wash at one of the shower stations beside the hot spring pools. Every station provides makeup remover, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and one hotel even offered several different kinds of toiletries to choose from. To prevent dehydration, there are also water dispensers nearby. Some people get out for a drink of water midway through their soak, then return and carry on. There are usually two or three different pools: large ones, as well as small tubs made of wood or stone, filled with baths of different temperatures or purported benefits. Some hot springs even have televisions to watch. After soaking for a while, people get out and sit down to rest. While soaking, I copied the other women and folded my little towel on top of my head. It made me feel like I was doing it in a truly authentic way, hahaha.
Because I’m a tattooed gangster, I had to ask the staff for an adhesive patch to cover my tattoo every time before I could go in for a soak.
I absolutely have to recommend the Dormy Inn chain of hot spring hotels. It isn’t expensive if you go during the week, and after your soak, you also get a small serving of ramen and some ice cream. In the morning, there are Yakult and coffee as well. I know I paid for all of it, but it still made me feel that the hotel had thought of everything, and staying there made me incredibly happy!! I also noticed that most of the guests were Japanese, so the experience felt especially authentic. My Japanese friend Yuki also said that this hot spring hotel chain is very well known in Tokyo, and many people come with their families to relax and enjoy it.
The escalators in Japan’s subway stations are covered with large posters and stickers reminding people not to walk on them. There are also posters warning people to watch out for gropers.
My favorite thing about Japan isn’t the food—it’s the restrooms. I would say that Japan’s restrooms have left the deepest impression on me of all the countries I’ve visited. No other country compares. (Maybe I just haven’t seen enough of the world, but they are at least among the very best.) Take even the most ordinary public restrooms in subway stations: they are all very clean and completely odorless, with every necessary facility provided. They all have smart toilets, with two or three rolls of toilet paper available as backups. The paper is single-ply, presumably because it is more environmentally friendly and dissolves more easily. More than 80 percent of the stalls have baby seats for mothers. There are also artificial running-water sounds to prevent other people from hearing embarrassing noises. (You can even adjust the volume!) From this, you can actually glimpse the national character of the Japanese: meticulous in every detail and constantly striving for perfection.
Service staff in Japan are all very friendly. Even if they don’t speak English, they will use a translation app to communicate with you, or resort to body language. One experience that left a deep impression on me happened at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara—a gigantic shopping complex where, if you can imagine it, you can buy it. I wanted to buy eye drops, but there were so many varieties that I didn’t know which one to choose. After listening to my description, the pharmacist immediately took out his phone and translated his Japanese for me to read.