My First Onsen or Japanese Baths - Part 2

As the kids and I researched Japan in preparation to move, we began to hear about Onsens. Friends who have lived here before (or live here now) said we HAD to do this. I determined I would. Wikipedia reports:

An onsen (温泉?) is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. A volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth. Onsen were traditionally used as public bathing places and today play a central role in directing Japanese domestic tourism.

Yes, I was shocked when we discovered that we would be expected to go nekkid in the hot springs. The kids decided it wasn't for them. I decided I would do it....and I'm thrilled to have done it early in our assignment so that I can enjoy Onsening for the next three years. ::snort::

Twyla, me, Deb

Friday night four ladies from chapel (me being one) went out for dinner and onsening. For two of us, Renee and myself, it was our first trip to the Onsen. I'd heard that some Onsens frown on foreigners because we don't always follow the proper ettiquette. This is for cleanliness and relaxing...not for rowdy rough housing. I am thankful to Deb and Twyla for inviting me to go onsening.....they KNEW what to do and I didn't have to worry about being unaware of offensive actions. I'm also thankful that Renee went along so that I wasn't the only one feeling a bit anxious about the experience. LOL

Renee - my first friend in Misawa, I've been promising you a photo and there she is on the left...about to try Onsening for the first time. I believe she's still glad I moved here. ::snort:: Don't you love Twyla's rather gaudy earring?

We stopped for dinner at a Korean restaurant. I had bolgogi and it was yummy!

We encountered the above sign at the Onsen.

Wikipedia shares this:

People with tattoos are usually not welcomed but one may be allowed in if the tattoos are not terribly obvious. If one ventures to an onsen that is publicly owned, this "should not present a problem as they have a duty to let all tax-paying citizens in. The original reason for this ban was to keep out yakuza, or members of other organized criminal gangs."[3]

I wish I'd taken the time to try this. The little fish nibble the dead skin from your feet. Maybe next time.

In we went.....the teacher in me loves INFO and I'd gladly share this experience step by step...but most of you will never NEED the specifics...anyway...the moment of truth...it really isn't much different than showering in a dorm at a boarding school or skinny dipping. ::snort::

The showers WERE unexpected....not one giant shower room...but low counters with a stool to sit on, a mirror, your own shower hose and basin. Very nice. I'll take a photo if I ever happen to visit an empty Onsen...Friday night isn't the slow time from what I could see. ::snort::

The pools range from 16*C to 42* C. There were indoor and outdoor tubs. There was a pool with a fragrant colored water. There were saunas and steam rooms. There is a little restaurant and a massage room...lots of things to try and explore. This place is next to the Organic Restaurant....which opens up mid-week opportunities...I wonder if Onsens are open during the day and if there would be less people. There were moms/daughters...grandmoms/grandkids....friends...and I'd love to do this with Arielle and Stacia...but will have to find a quiet spot if I hope to talk Arielle into it.

I also discovered that many middle age women DO take a teeny towel with them...and I plan to buy a few teeny towels. ::snort:: I plan to explore the various Onsens in the area and find my favorite. Outdoor tubs in the winter sound delightful!

This was incredibly relaxing. I can't begin to explain how nice it was. The stress and tension you may be feeling simply evaporates. This is a good thing the Japanese culture has cultivated! If any one local is ever looking for an Onsen partner; I'm available. ::snort::

Thank you Deb, Twyla and Renee for sharing this first with me. As I told you earlier, this certainly ensures I'll not forget any of you, even when I'm 98 and recalling my Japanese adventures to my great, great grandchildren.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Blog Alarm

It's amazing how many people living in TLF will grab their laptops when told to evacuate the building. ::snort::

Yep...the second time since we've been here....the bldg was surrounded with fire trucks and men in full gear....seems someone burnt the popcorn again?

I'd been deciding on a nap or checking email and blogging...since I was now out of the bldg with the laptop....maybe I'll catch one of you on Skype. Mike has the kids playing basketball and swinging.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Japanese Baths - Part 1

One of the first things we noticed were these delightfully deep tubs in the TLF. They are common to Japan. I'd read up on the country and was expecting deep tubs in off base homes, but was pleasantly surprised to find a deep tub in TLF.

In the homes we've seen, the bathrooms are divided into at least two rooms. There is a room with a toilet and sink.....then there is the shower room.

It's hard to see in this photo...but the entire room is tiled with shower board. There is a drain in the floor outside of the tub. The shower hose is for you to take a shower in the room, BEFORE you get into the tub. In homes without shower hoses, there is a small scoop/bucket dipper for the same purpose. Only when you are CLEAN and all soap has been removed do you enter the tub. I think the hook IN the tub is a concession for "American Style" homes. There is also a mirror in our tub?????

From our reading we've learned that the tubs are usually filled with very HOT water. The tubs come with a cover to keep the water warm between baths. In homes with big enough tubs several members of a family will soak at the same time. The purpose for a bath here is to relax, to calm down, to get warm, to be refreshed...showers are to get clean.

I was thrilled to find that our tub is deep (though a bit short for the taller folks among us) and has a cover.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

INSIDE the house!

We were able to go inside the house yesterday. I talked with our rental agent and they've moved the base's home inspection up to Friday, 25 September. We are praying that all goes as planned and that the home is approved Friday a.m. We plan to be at housing Friday afternoon to sign a lease. Then we can pick up a key and schedule TMO. This move may really end soon. ::snort::

The home is beautiful. It WILL require some creativity. I'm sure I'll find some before we move in or shortly thereafter....or I'll post room photos and beg for YOUR ideas. ::snort:: Windy and I have been tossing ideas back and forth.

Mike reports there are wrapped pipes under this space in the laundry room. We are hoping that means that our understanding of floor heat is the same as the builder's understanding. ::snort::

The laundry room is big. I am thinking a wall shelving unit would give us some linen storage or such.....Windy's home does have much more closet space than ours (in the entry way, the master bedroom and the bathroom). This is something you can't tell from floor plans...or at least we couldn't....but there were quite a few Japanese notations. ::snort:: These are STEEP! One of the kids commented that it was like climbing a ladder. ::snort:: The steps themselves are taller and narrower than in the states....and the incline is steep.


Our kitchen is a great size. We'll need to figure out more pantry/cupboard space...there are cupboards, but they are not as deep as in America. We do have a wonderful closet/pantry in the dining room....we also have an extra wide kitchen. Maybe a desk, or pantry shelves, or a rocking chair will fit in that spot.....

Jared thinks the height of the sink should get him out of doing dishes....what do you think?
We had been told there would be storage under the stairs. I envisioned a lot of space for boxes, like homes we've had before. However, THIS is our storage space under the stairs. ::snort::

The views are going to be beautiful. Every house has a few surprises and this one is no different. We'll be very happy here.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Skype

OK - we have Skype now. I used my name. If you know my name, feel free to add me to your contacts. ::snort:: Nate....I can't find you but I found Heather's old stateside one. Are you listed in MO or Japan? There is NO ONE in the computer room, Mike tested the sound, we're dying to try this out and none of you are online. ::snort::

Let's see what else did I do? I attended a PWOC related meeting. I sent in my registration for Hawaii. I played with the young ones on the playground. I met a new lady there who had a ton of fun info for me about Japan. We made cookies. We went on a long walk.

I bought stuff for tomorrow's Onsen Adventure.

Still waiting for Skype to ring. ::snort::

Rodney and Windy went over to see their home today. They were told by Koishi that it is o.k. to go inside when the workers are there. They did. They also went inside ours and said that it looks nearly done. We're going to go look tomorrow. I'm really going to have a home...soon...honestly. THEN what will I write about? ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

LAZY Wednesday

Wednesday morning confirmed many things for us. We couldn't get moving. We don't do well with evening outings. I know in AK, where we had Bible Study and Youth activities on Tuesday night, Wednesdays were ALWAYS tough for school. We didn't have mid-week activities in TX. I have opted out of the chapel mid-week evening activities because of the drive (I thought I could catch rides to the Language class) ...but after one night of language class....I realize that just being out in the evening does something to us. Hats off to all of you who faithfully pull this off, it's not something we HAVE to do, so we're content to stay home, read and play games in the evenings. LOL

SO...since we weren't motivated to get anything done, we decided to try to hook with the S family (Rodney and Windy's family). We visited.

After lunch I took Windy out to show her the house. They were inside working on their house. As we peeked in an older women said, "Dozo"..... Yeah? ALRIGHT. We got to go inside. As we took off our shoes she said "Dijobo!" Which means "ok". I wanted to be sure and wanted to ask "It's o.k.?" which came out sounding like "Dejavu des ka?" but she laughed and said to come on in, and leave our shoes on (the floor is covered with padded paper). The wall paper is up, the .....we were very concerned about tears and broken drywall all over the house...and in the ceilings!!!! VERY concerned. Last night, as we talked with Mike, we figured out that those must be the spots for the light switches! ::snort::

Dorothy - its us together - I remember praying for Windy as she had their youngest baby and her dh went to Korea for a year - how surreal that we are meeting in real life. I love how God orchestrates our lives!

AND....guess what? If Windy has one, we're sure to have one....

A Techno Potty!

I wonder if the plug means the seat will be heated...maybe it's just for the spraying gadgets.... Winter is so much more livable with heated feet and buns. LOL

Back on base, we grabbed kids and went to the Weasel's Den for a bit of time. They headed for Awana and we continued dragging our lazy way through Wednesday.

OH YES - and Windy is going to Hawaii with me. We filled out registration forms.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Japanese Trucks

Jamin - this is just for you! We think of you and your desire for a pick up every time we see one of these. ::snort::

Look at the tiny tires.... The boys report the backs ARE fun to ride in. We've not seen ONE "full sized Texas truck" over here.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...