Dear lord, I managed to skip over that the first time reading his post. Thanks for pointing it out.

I need some mindbleach. :\

I travelled through Japan from Hokkaido down to Okinawa and went to countless Onsen/Sento there. Just one foot bath was really natural. The rest has hotel complexes around or they want an entrance fee. But that's Japan: nothing stays natural when discovered.

The rules are absolutely no problem. As the guy with the huge cock said: get undressed, shower, bath. Also a massive penis is not the problem why people would stare at you. The problem is that you are a Gaijin. Something japanese people don't understand and don't want in their country. When I enter the bath tub, people leave and I don't think it's because of my privates because normally you cover them with your towel (in case the towel is big enough). When it comes to foreigners, japanese people are retards. On the ferry back home from Hokkaido I met a group of construction workers that were on their way home from some construction there. They invited us to have some beer with them because they've never seen a Gaijin in reality before. Sometimes they see one on TV when their children watch something but they never saw one live. Can you believe that?

If you can live with that and if your balls don't drag on the ground you should definitely not miss a nice japanese concrete hotel complex onsen. If you give up searching for something natural in Japan and just accept the concrete walls, you should go to Spa World in Osaka. Until October 31st they have some special offer for ¥1000 for a day-pass. They have two theme floors: asia and europe. One for men and one for women. Every month they change which one is for men and which one for women. Don't miss the あかすり there - they'd love to wash your huge hammer!

Stay tuned!

hehe! I must try あかすり Thanks for telling me about that.

I don't think I have been gaijin'd by Japanese yet! I get some looks and the like but nothing I wouldn't get back in London.
I look at them too and they often look back.
In the onsen I feel quite normal and relaxed, my nihongo is not great but a few words help alot, mainly to put the locals at ease. Many young guys like the fashion of using the towel over their bits but my towel stays on my head (not that one silly).

The last onsen I was in, the cleaning staff (female) came into the mens changing area for a scrub. Neither they nor us batted an eyelid or hid behind a towel.

Are all of these onsen require you to be fully nude?
What about if some one wants to go to an onsen with there girlfriend or wife, and enjoy the onsen together? Are there some that are co-ed?

There are a very small number that are, but they`re hard to find and usually are filled with elderly men and women. In general they all require you to be nude.

For a couple/family - there are often private smaller baths which you can rent for an hour or so and enjoy. Some nicer hotels will also offer a private outdoor bath attached to your room for the ultimate in privacy.