Tokyo and Hakone

In 2001 we went to Japan for a short break over the Christmas holidays, heading to Tokyo for a couple of days and then on to Hakone, which is famous for it's onsens (hot springs) and views of Fuji San - weather permitting.

In Tokyo we opted to stay in Shinjuku, a 'lively' district, which at night resembles something out of Blade Runner with its garish neon signs, musical vending machines and non-stop Japanese commercials, combining in a full on assault on your senses, 24 hours a day.

After a couple of days in Tokyo, the peace and quiet of Hakone comes as quite a shock to the system - no neon in sight and everything closed by 8:00pm. For our first night in Hakone I had booked us in to a small guest house with its own onsen attached, so after checking in, we change into our yukata's and head off to the outdoor hot springs, which is separated into into the male and female sections.

Now taking a relaxing soak in an outdoor, near scalding hot pool, is not as straightforward as you may think. There is a certain etiquette to be followed, with definite do's and don'ts attached, before you get anywhere near the water, and to be honest, I was a little nervous at this point, not wanting to commit a social faux pas.

After passing through some curtains I entered the changing room, which was square in shape, with 3/4 height partitions on all sides, above which, was open to the elements. Being late December, and about 7:00pm at this time, the temperature was only just above freezing. I selected a basket into which I placed my towel and all of my clothes, before returning it to the shelves, then made my way towards the hot pools with only my small 'modesty' towel for company.

Now before entering the water, it is essential that you scrub every inch of your body clean beforehand, which is done sitting on a small stool at a low level shower. After scrubbing myself for the second time (just to make sure), I thoroughly rinsed off all traces of soap and made my way to the nearest pool(soap suds must never, never, come anywhere near the pools, so it is important to make sure you are properly rinsed off beforehand!).

I look up and notice how busy the place is, just about the same time that I putting my foot into the pool and realising how hot the water is. Determined, I continue to make my way into the water, trying not to show any signs of pain on my face, and sit down. After a while, I get used to the water temperature and the whole experience becomes rather therapeutic. I try out a few more pools before it is time to get dressed back into my yukata and go for dinner.

Having successfully mastered the rituals associated with visiting an onsen we try out a few more hot springs over the next couple of days. On Christmas day we decide to make our last visit to an onsen, before catching the train back to Tokyo.

We settle on a rather rustic type of place just across from our hotel, set somewhat down a hill and surrounded by trees. Being a dab hand at all of this now I change, shower and make my way outside to the hot pools (this one had the luxury of indoor changing facilities). I look around and decide on one of the first pools set a little higher up from the main bathing area. I put my foot in, rather tentatively, and conclude that although burning hot, I can probably cope if I get in nice and slowly.

Just as the words nice and slowly pass through my mind, my foot slips off the wooden seating area under the water, and I fall, arms clutching in desperation into thin air. I hit the water flat on my back, arms and legs akimbo, somehow managing not to crack my head on anything on the way in. After briefly going under the water, I am aware how hot it is and actually manage to exit the pool quicker than I fell in.

This whole process of course manages to create a cascade of hot water down onto the bathers in a pool below. I would have apologised but just did not know where to start.

I have not been back to an Onsen since.

Within the photos section I have uploaded some of the pics from our trip. I have, you will be please to know, left out the photos of me in my undersized yukata and jacket, which are not particularly flattering, trust me.