Naturally Carbonated Hot Springs of Japan!

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Naturally Carbonated Hot Springs of Japan!

On your next trip to Japan, after visiting all the temples , shrines, and museums, I recommend setting aside some time to explore #deepjapan and visit places off the beaten track. Here, on Connect, we are showing the world places worth visiting, and hope that we can provide some useful hints and tips that may help you along the way.

My speciality is food, Japanese sake, and hot springs - One of the most important national pastimes in Japan. In this post I will introduce the carbonated hot spring bath which has been around for centuries. They exist in other countries around the world, too, like in places like Germany and Finland….Even in the U.S. we have carbonated natural springs.

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor nor am I offering any medical advise.

Note:

Although snow monkeys in hot springs is a natural phenomenon, and has been for centuries, is not Japanese culture. It’s the recent tourism boom in Japan that created a niche market for tours to see monkeys take baths in hot springs, so please don’t connect it to anything special. Monkey’s prefer to be left alone and should not be fed or touched within their groups.

What is hot springs?

Natural hot baths the locals enjoy taking for community bonding, relaxation, and therapy.For further knowledge on this I recommend reading up here on @HiroyukiTakisawa

Others as well: @YOTSUBIRD @MARI54 @yoheikoga @NadyaDee @Zennen-SAIKI

@YasumiKikuchi

Let’s start with a type of spring called " Ramune Spring" or carbonated spring located in Oita, Prefecture deep in Japan. The name of the place is called Shichirida Hot Spring and is a local favorite.

The water temperature is a pleasant 37 degree C. and is mild on the skin so you can spend time relaxing in there.

The carbonated bath is supposed to improve your circulation through expanding your blood vessels. You will definitely feel hotter after you get out and lighter. If you plan to drive immediately afterwards, don’t. You may need to rest a bit first.

I think I paid like 5000 / 4900 yen yen a day for this small car. No problems getting around in it.

If you have a credit card and an international driving license I would recommend renting a car if you really want to enjoy #deepjapan. Trains are great, but a car will give you greater freedom and flexibility.

The most important take away from this post is to see #deepjapan. It’s okay to get lost in the beauty of Japan and trust that things will be “ok.” Day use for this hot spring may change from time to time, so you may want to check call before to make sure. And, there was no “tattoo” prohibition last time I checked.

[AdamGT]

Hi @user_not_found

Once again I find myself enjoying reading your post about another aspect of Japan. Thank you for sharing. Wow 37 degrees C…that sounds quite hot to me but would sure be inviting on a cold day!!!

[HiroyukiTakisawa]

Hello, @user_not_found

Yeah, Naturally Carbonated Hot Springs is really awesome!! I love it. Thank you for introducing:-)

And your advice about hot spring and monkeys are so informative for the people. You’re right.

Have fun!

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@AdamGT morning Adam, some temperatures fluctuate between 32 and 37 degrees C. Most comfortable for tourist is somewhere around 32… Old timers tend to like it at around 42 ~ The daredevils like myself can push it up to 45 C. That is very hot. I think the max temp. was like 47C! Very dangerous. I find that higher temperatures give the greatest effect on the body, but again, that is just my opinion.

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@HiroyukiTakisawa Thank you for your gracious comments. Yea. The onsen snow monkey tours hosted by travel companies in Japan is a form of animal exploitation and should be stopped. Watching monkeys and taking pictures of them in a natural habitat like this disturbs monkey behavior, and causes them to go into a defensive posture. Some tourist have gotten attacked by monkeys for getting too close.

I think some legal action needs to be taken to protect your monkey population from tourism. Onsen is part of the communal practices of the Japanese, not a “monkey onsen tour.”

[HiroyukiTakisawa]

Hi, @user_not_found

I think so too. We need to respect their life.
Hmm, I’ll think about it together with my wife. As she loves animals and attended to various activities, she may have a good idea.

Thank you!

[Ant_Bad_Yogi]

@user_not_found Another nice post from you! I like its wooden building, it looks beautiful and classic. From your experience, which onsen do you like most? Thank you for sharing this informative and nice post with us.

[YasumiKikuchi]

Hello @user_not_found ,

Criticism of the culture is a violation of the Terms of Local Guide Connect. I understand your desire to protect animals, but you have to argue in a different place. This place is not a place to find the truth, but it is important to be friendly in order to encourage interaction.

The 5 core values of Connect

By the way, let’s examine in detail that Snow Monkey is a monkey research facility that maintains the ecosystem and is not necessarily exploitation and disturbing behavior. It has continued since 1967. I confirmed it when I visited the facility. Knowing Japan in detail will reveal what different cultures are aiming for.

Thank you as always.

[AdamGT]

What! 42C…45C…47C. These are very very hot temperatures and I thought 37C was hot sheeesh. I’m certainly no expert but I would have thought that anything above 32-35C would melt away all your natural body oils @user_not_found . I wonder if any Japanese LGs can contribute to this point… @YasumiKikuchi ? @HiroyukiTakisawa ? @955HIRO ?

[YasumiKikuchi]

Hello @AdamGT

There are many people who think that 41 degrees is the right temperature for us Japanese who take a bath every day. The reason why the hot springs are around 43 degrees is that the hot spring looks like something meaningful and the highly effective. This is because, as a traditional Japanese idea, there is a superstition that the hotter the body, the healthier it becomes. The old Japanese entered at 50 degrees.

#DeepJapan

[955HIRO]

@AdamGT

Hello. Japanese hot springs tend to be hot. There is a tendency for hot water to be particularly hot in the baths where you enter jointly. There are several baths with hot and cold baths. I like you, too hot in the hot water bath can not enter. The photo is an open-air bath in Nasu Kogen, where I traveled last month. This bath could be rented out, and the bath temperature could be adjusted to your favorite bath temperature. If you have any questions, thank you. Thank you very much. Regard

Private open-air bath

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@HiroyukiTakisawa I totally agree, too. I think she would have better insight on how to property treat wild animals. You don’t want tourist getting confused about what authentic “onsen culture” is in relation to “monkeys in onsens.”

And I’m sure, you wouldn’t want travel companies like JTB exploiting animals for profit just because they sit in onsen.

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@YasumiKikuchi " This place is not a place to find the truth, but it is important to be friendly in order to encourage interaction." “Criticism of the culture is a violation of the Terms of Local Guide Connect.”

Me: Thank you for sharing the core values on connect.

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@AdamGT Thank you for comments. And I thank @YasumiKikuchi and @955HIRO for adding their input as well.

The first time I sat in an onsen in Japan I was sensitive about the temperature, too. It felt really hot even though the water was at around 35.5C… Americans don’t have a bathing culture like Japan, but when growing up as kids we took baths at home - bubble baths. Even that water felt too hot for me…haha… I am surprised I can still remember that far back. It took me a few months to get adjusted to the varying temperatures of different onsen all over Japan. You develop stamina the more you take onsen and will be able to withstand greater temperatures.

Most of all, remember to go at your own pace. If the temps are too high, get out of the water and cool down.

[AdamGT]

Thank you @YasumiKikuchi for the intersting background information explaining why hot hot hot is good!

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@955HIRO Lovely little onsen there. Thanks for sharing. I wish I had known you’d be visiting Nasu Kogen. I could have recommended some places. Was this onsen " 源泉掛け流し？”

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@AdamGT I just wanted to add a little more to what @YasumiKikuchi just mentioned. I learned the same wisdom about hot, hot, being the best way to derive therapeutic value from a hot spring. I had a good friend demonstrate this for me in a 50C bath. The secret to sitting in such hot temps is to control your breathing and sit STILL. The more you move the hotter the water feels. Later I tried it and I was able to sit for 5 seconds…lolol…

[MukulR]

@user_not_found Well explained article indeed. Thanks for sharing.

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@MukulR Will you be exploring other areas, and what do you do to relax?

[MukulR]

@user_not_found I am interested to know anything about Japan. I like it very much. During my leisure, I try to read books (hard copy) on Japan. I am very much fond of reading travel story. If you have time you can read my new post here .