The two kanji characters that make up the word onsen mean “hot” and “source”. To be considered an onsen, hot springs in Japan need to satisfy the conditions of water temperature at source is at least 25 degrees Celsius and contains at least one of 19 prescribed minerals in a certain concentration.
Public bathing culture at springs Hot water has existed for more than a thousand years in Japan. This country’s history has recorded favorite onsen bathing locations of lords or samurai soaking in onsen to recover from war.
< figure class="image" contenteditable="false" style="text-align:justify"> Tourists bathe in onsen in Japan. Photo: Japanistry
Today onsen still play an important role in the rest and relaxation activities of Japanese people. This country has many onsen towns and villages famous for domestic and foreign tourists. Many traditional ryokan inns across Japan have onsen bathing services to serve the needs of overnight visitors.
Travelers who want to experience it Cheap onsen bathing and learning about typical Japanese public bathing culture can be found at daytime onsen bathing facilities. Onsen bathing in Japan often includes bathtubs, massage areas, hot stone spas, relaxation areas, restaurants, hair salons.
If onsen gives visitors a relaxing space and health benefits through soaking in the water Mineral springs are rich in nutrients, and sento are local public baths that mainly serve people’s body hygiene needs. The word sento is composed of two kanji characters meaning “coin” and “hot water” to refer to sending sento bathing as buying hot water from a water supplier to clean the body.
Sentos flourished in Japan in the 1960s as cities grew with increased population density, city houses shrank, and many families did not have bathrooms. Therefore, many people choose to bathe at local sento establishments.
In the 1960s, it was estimated that there were up to 20,000 sento throughout Japan. Today that number has dropped to about 5,000 establishments.
However, sento is still quite popular in residential areas and is a good way for tourists to experience culture Japanese public bath. Sentos often have saunas and other services, but do not use nutrient-rich mineral spring water like onsens.
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