ive been to some onsen where they really put a big announcement at the door that if you have a tattoo they will kick you out, so it would be much better to ask the staff before entering in and then will be kicked out, that would be embarassing..

Naa ;<. Crap.

Guess Ill have to wait then. Thanx.

I hear Beppu is the onsen capital of Japan. Anyone been there?

I've always wanted to go to an onsen, especially ones with very nice scenery (greenery, rather), but I'm way too self-conscious for something like that and would probably feel out of place being a "gaijin" and all, especially a "black" gaijin. :mtongue: Okay, I'm not entirely serious there, but I probably would feel self-conscious because of the nudity thing since I am extremely private in that regard. I also wouldn't want to go by myself either. Maybe if I do ever get into JET, I'll manage to make friends who'll just invite me along.

As for the nudity problem, which is solely an "American thing"...do you all feel that most Americans have a problem with nudity because we view it as something private?

I passed through it. I felt, in the little time I was there, that it was too modern and commercial. I prefer more old-fashioned style onsens. I'm sure Beppu has some of those around as well, somewhere, but I had a ferry to catch to get to Matsuyama and the 2000 year old Dogo Onsen.

Tell me about Onsen in Hakone and in Asakusa, please?

Is it a mix onsen (male and female)?

many thanks for your help! :ywave:

Thanks for the response. I think I'll stop by the next time I go there.

I have a question about this springness.
Like how clean are they?
I dunno large bodies of water where random tons of people go into kinda gross me out.
They look so nice. But I'm scaredddd of the germssss.

Everyone washes thoroughly before getting in the onsen. And the water is constantly flowing out. It's clean.

thats nice.. but is it possible if I wear shorts before I enter the public bath? Is it an obligatory to get nude before entering it?