Naked in Japan

After an academically rigorous year I was more than eager to do the international business trip with my classmates to Tokyo, Japan. We were a motley crew of late twenties and early thirties who were curious about Expat work options in Japan. I’ll admit, I was more interested in exploring the culture and a bit of adventure. We were fortunate to have one of my friends in the group who had lived and worked in Japan for 8 years who I informed that I was going to use as my local guide.

What is an Onsen

My friend who had lived in Japan told us that one thing we had to see and experience while we were there was the Japanese hot springs and mineral pool bath house that is called an Onsen. The use of onsen in Japan is traditional and still enjoyed today. There are many different pools with different types of water and different temperatures.

One part of the experience that I embraced, which turned out to be a mistake, was going commando in my kimono prior to going into the onsen section. I went through the whole dinner time commando, and assuming that everyone else was enjoying the air flow and freedom as well. Later, in the locker room, when we were about to enter the no-clothes area, we noticed that everyone else was adding their undies to their lockers along with their kimonos. No regrets.

During naked time in the bath house, people bring with them a conventional sized yellow washcloth. While the foreigners usually use this as a weener cloak as they move from pool to pool, there is a specific reason this is part of the Onsen experience. The purpose of the washcloth is to wipe sweat from your head when in the hot pools. So, traditionally speaking, the cloth isn’t intended to cover dongs and be in the water. You can identify the regulars who respect tradition because the rest it on their heads while they soak.

I expected everyone else to share the common courtesy of keeping the line of site high while avoiding eye contact. However, it turns out that being a pale white guy is a beacon of attention when in Asia To make matters worse, there was a general sense of curiosity about what a circumsized penis looks like. Needless to say, I ended up forsaking tradition and using the makeshift sausage cloke to divert curious eyes. Especially after transitioning from the freezing cold pool back to the the hot pools.

Overall, I felt like the experience in the onsen was a cultural right of passage. In hind-sight, it would have been more weird to not be naked in that setting. After the initial culture shock, it was really relaxing. Next time I’m in Japan, I’m going back for sure.

Most of us considered this a very interesting cultural experience. Plus, the hot mineral water was quite relaxing. It wasn’t until a couple of days later that one friend tried to get some validation in conversation for how embarrassing and uncomfortable the experience was. I reacted by laughing out loud. Although, I suppose they aren’t for everyone.