The bathhouse where Japan’s wellness trend began 3000 years ago. Photo / Getty Images
The bathhouse where Japan’s wellness trend began 3000 years ago. Photo / Getty Images
Julia D’Orazio travels back to where Japan’s wellness trend began 3000 years ago by visiting the country’s oldest onsen: Dogo Onsen, in the city of Matsuyama.
Two elderly naked ladies are slowly walking towards me. Talking in Japanese and giggling like schoolgirls, each holds a small towel slightly bigger than their petite body frames, only one covering her modesty. What have I just stumbled across – should I also be naked?
An aerial view of the city of Matsuyama. Photo / Getty Images
Stripping off is customary at Dogo Onsen. The onsen resort village in Matsuyama, Shikoku – the smallest of Japan’s four main islands – is touted as the country’s oldest hot springs. It is here that Japan’s wellness trend took off roughly 3000 years ago with revered hot springs featured in ancient texts Kojiki – some parts considered sacred texts of the Shinto religion – and Manyoshu, an anthology of ancient Japanese poems.
According to local legend, an egret (a white heron) discovered the thermal waters. The serenity–seeking bird soon became a regular, soaking its injured leg with the water and eventually healing. Learning of the springs’ restorative powers, people began to flock to the area, which then became known as Sagi-Dani (Egret Valley).
The egret’s aura is still sensed. Matsuyama’s main attraction is Dogo Onsen Honkan, Dogo Onsen’s main bathhouse and the city’s symbol. Built in 1894, the traditional Japanese-style wooden public bath consists of three storeys, with a sentinel-like egret perched atop the “Shinrokaku” cupola. Under its stiffened feathers are six baths, including a designated special bath area for the Imperial family, a one-of-a-kind in Japan. The distinguished bathhouse is also believed to have inspired the animated, Academy Award-winning film, Spirited Away.
Matsuyama is home to the famous Dōgo Onsen, one of Japan’s oldest hot springs. Photo / Julia D'Orazio
I’m travelling with a small group of journalists, including two males, following the path to purification. We walk along Dogo Haikara Street, the area’s undercover shopping arcade, connecting the onsen to Dogo Onsen Station. Within the sea of people navigating the 250m stretch are people dressed in a yukata – a casual kimono. Their faces beam twofold from shopfront fluorescent lights hitting their cheekbones, and their moods radiate Zen. I’m about to join them, reaching a relaxed state.
Standing in front of the entrance of the Dogo Onsen Honkan feels mystical. The lit-up onsen appears like a beacon; a golden glow shines through transparent shoji windows as rain drizzles at nightfall. Although I can see my breath in the cold air, I’m not bothered by the freeze factor, knowing I will soon warm up in the onsen’s revered thermal waters.
Inside the main building of Dogo Onsen, in the second floor lounge. Photo / Julia D'Orazio
Taking things off is a gradual process. Shoes first – a common practice upon entering many Japanese buildings, as a sign of respect – and placed in lockers. The bathhouse is a labyrinth to navigate. I stick to level one, where the public women’s and men’s baths are located, admiring its simple wooden hallways adorned with traditional artworks.
We arrive just metres from each bath entrance, separated by sex and distinguished by short, deep red (women) and blue (men) curtains. The women’s blinds suddenly part with the first signs of flesh – two bare-naked ladies – casually approaching us.
One group is in the wrong here. Our eyes lock. Silence cuts through the ladies’ upbeat chatter. The shock of horror sets in when the women, faced with confused glares from fully clothed tourists, realise they have gone the wrong way. Oops!
They rapidly turn around and disappear to shield their embarrassment. It wouldn’t be the last time we see their small derrières. We ladies soon follow them into the women’s bath, Kami-no-Yu. The social awkwardness of undressing in front of colleagues swiftly diminishes with nudity crowding the changeroom. I hastily strip, keen to enter these sacred waters.
I liken the bathhouse to beauty therapy for the time-poor. As one of a few onsens in the country that require no heating or added water, it uses alkaline hot springs pumped from 18 sources, ranging from 20 to 55C and adjusted to a bearable 42C. The benefits of alkaline water include dissipating old skin cells and revealing smooth skin.
I liken Dogo Onsen bathhouse to beauty therapy for the time-poor. Photo / Julia D'Orazio
I’m keen to feel young again and it’s time to feel the heat. I step into the high-ceiling stone bathing space, beautifully ornate with a large blue and white Tobe porcelain panel painting the length of the shallow pool. In the middle features a fountainhead, yugama, with spouts on either side, gushing scorching water into the pool.
About 10 ladies sit in the square-shaped onsen. Open shower cubicles surround the communal pool. Some are occupied by women cleansing themselves post-onsen and seated on white plastic stools using supplied amenities. There’s nothing to hide here.
I rinse off as per bathing decorum and slowly enter the onsen. My body feels like it’s about to melt, but at the same time, I’m slowly getting into a Zen state. I feel relaxed and relieved, chatting with my colleagues as I normally would, nevermind informal appearances. No wonder onsens form a big part of the Japanese culture. A moment of bliss and restoration work on the body between the bustle of everyday life.
Fly non-stop from Auckland to Tokyo with Air NZ in approx. 11 hours. Then fly from Narita International Airport, Tokyo to Matsuyama Airport in approx. 1 hour, 40 minutes with Jetstar, Japan Airlines and ANA (All Nippon Airways).
DETAILS
Where to stay
Rooms at the Candeo Hotels Matsuyama Okaido start from $NZD112.
