Or take a look at "Naked in a Japanese Hot Spring" by Kriece. Yeah, that's his name. I found a copy in a Japanese hot spring of all places. It was in the very small foreign language section of its manga library. I picked it up and within an hour, I was rolling with laughter. His book reminds me why I decided to travel and why I started in Japan.
Kriece was an exchange student in Kobe when he first went to an onsen. It was in Matsuyama in the Ehime Prefecture. He shares the culture shock of nudity in front of a bunch of strangers at the hot spring and the unwritten rules that are only obvious after the fact. For me, my first day of Basic Training in the Army spared me from the first horror and helpful tips from my Japanese friends spared me from the second.
My experience in the Japanese onsen was not as funny but it was just as memorable. There are hot springs all over Japan but I went to Shirahama in the Wakayama Prefecture. Shirahama is famous for its hot springs and beaches. We chose the Yukai Resort Hotel. It is an onsen and ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel).
The price for each of us was only 7800 yen! This included unlimited use of the onsen below as well as a breakfast and lunch buffet. It was close to the beach as well. The way it works: get some breakfast, go to the onsen, return to the room and relax, get some lunch, go back to the onsen. In the late afternoon and evening people usually explore the local sites and have dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Simmering in the hot spring is relaxing and refreshing. Being so close to the sea, anyone would forget the stress of the city. Most onsens also have manga libraries, ping pong tables and karaoke. But what many people don't think of is the hospitality of the ryokan. Japanese hospitality is called, "omotenashi" and it rivals service you'll find anywhere else in the world.
While I'm still here enjoying the wonders Japan, Kriece has moved on. His book spans four continents, not including his native Australia. The other stories of his book are just as funny as the first. If he decides to write a followup, I'm certain it will include Africa and Antarctica. In the meantime, I'm already looking forward to hitting the onsen this summer. Shirahama was a blast but I won't rule out Matsuyama.
