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If you find yourself on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu, you will come upon delicacies that are not offered abundantly in other parts of the country. However, what the island is the most well known for are its onsen, or hot springs. Dipping into the thermal waters of Kyushu is a must, especially if you can do it with all of your friends or significant other.
These days, the konyoku onsen, or mixed gendered bath, is a rare and dying breed. Every year, more facilities are closing their doors or changing their policies so that men and women bathe separately. Traditionally, onsen were meant for men and women to bathe together, so many advocates are pushing to preserve the old ways.
Keeping this in mind, there are rules for bathing in a konyoku onsen. Depending on the ryokan Japanese inn) or bath, some establishments require patrons to wear towels when bathing. This gives all parties the experience of a mixed-gendered bath without worrying about the initial “nude shock” when other onsen-goers are present. Other locations, however, have a strict “no cover-up” policy where bathing suits and towels are forbidden. Either way, when visiting any of these locations, the staff will inform you about their policies as well. Be sure to respect and follow the establishment’s rules to help continue this longstanding tradition.
Finding public baths that allow men and women to bathe together in every prefecture of Kyushu is difficult. Below, you will see a list of public baths in three of Kyushu’s prefectures: Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Oita. Though not all of these locations require a reservation, some are in a ryokan, or Japanese inn, and only allow guests who are staying at their facilities to use them. Some have designated times for mixed bathing, in which case, we have made note in the descriptions. Here, then, are nine onsen in Kyushu where you can soak up the experience of mixed gender bathing.
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11 Comments
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ebisen
..go to Germany, to any fitness club or spa that has a sauna - 99% of them will mixed and nude, no towels. On any beach that has an FKK section (many have) is the same. What nude shock? Nobody gives a second thought about it there, and it used to be like this in Japan until the Christian influenced puritan and pruddish US culture took over after the war. Hiding the bodies changed what used to be an absolutely normal situation into a sexual one, and this makes it very difficult to return to the normality ... It is very sad that it happened this way.
Ko
The Dutch settled Japan via Kagoshima and brought western civilization to Japan. This included firearms modern farming techniques western languages and literature Catholic Christianity and many technological advances.
The concept of separating the sexes from one another during bathing and grooming is as ancient as the Egyptians and ancient Judaism.
Modesty and decorum regarding keeping naked males and females separated is a practical and common sense way to keep the peace.
It is a deeply naive and immature idea that females bathing naked together with males in groups is a beneficial thing. Males are too distracted by naked females to allow this to go on without a huge security guard presence.
The entire Metoo movement is a living testimonial to the inherent difficulties of males and females together. If they are bathing naked together it is inviting massive sexual harassment and rape.
albaleo
I take it you've never been bathing with your wife's grandparents.
Toasted Heretic
I can't see why some people get upset at nude bathing or naturism or anything like that. It's just bodies, people.
What's there to be ashamed of? Sure, you get older and bits of you might sag and droop but that's life.
Nippori Nick
The Portuguese brought Catholic Christianity to Japan. It certainly was not the Dutch who were Protestant and viewing themselves as bitter enemies of Catholic nations.
Ko
Having lived in Japan for years and having bathed in Onsens I know that it is an antiquated and tourist attracting sideshow curiosity.
Many foreign people maintain the delusional and badly mistaken belief that Onsens from feudal Japan were somehow pure idyllic and non sexual facilities and events.
Nothing could be further from the truth. During that supposedly golden era of idyllic feudal Japan when people supposedly gathered in Oneida Community style purity free love and beauty the females of Japan were horribly persecuted and treated as second class citizens and chattle.
The public bathhouses aka Onsens were extensions of the vile mistreatment of females who were on display for the males to gawk and observe.
The reality of modernity including Japan is that the homogeneous world culture is tragically obsessed with vile images of nudity such as pornographic depictions that degrade females.
The massive problem of sexual harassment and subway groping that is endemic to Japan would be amplified on steroids in Onsens if they were to be built in larger numbers around Japan.
Presently there are nine remaining coed Aka both gender Onsens in existence in Japan. They have security guards and are quaint curiosities of an antiquated sexist way of life that degraded women as the foundation of their existence.
Toasted Heretic
I remember going to an onsen in Yakushima, by the beach. It was mixed and there were no random outbreaks of sexual harassment or pornography.
Being frightened of the human body is a strange phenomenom.
Serrano
"9 onsen in Kyushu where men and women can bathe together"
Great. Now find an onsen where people with tattoos can go.
ebisen
I shared nude saunas in Germany with people in their teen ages, up to you name it, 80 years old and over, of both sexes... The elderly are a good reminder of what we all will once become, IF we are lucky enough to get to life to their age, that is. It is very liberating to be able to do so without care, IMHO. I certainly wish more mixed onsens open doors in Japan, but I don't see it happening soon.
In the meantime there are far too many oppressed and uneducated people around, that can't control their urges...
Nippori Nick
Very good comments ebisen. 100% correct that we all get older and I really don't understand why people feel that is somehow a bad thing. No one should be ashamed of a human body.
Jeff Huffman
KoApr. 9, 2018 12:25 am JST The Dutch settled Japan via Kagoshima and brought western civilization to Japan. This included firearms modern farming techniques western languages and literature Catholic Christianity and many technological advances.
KoApr. 9, 2018 05:08 am JST Having lived in Japan for
years and having bathed in Onsens I know that it is an antiquated and tourist
attracting sideshow curiosity. Many foreign people maintain the delusional and
badly mistaken belief that Onsens from feudal Japan were somehow pure idyllic
and non sexual facilities and events.
Not only have you never lived in Japan, I don't think you've even read Shogun.