Onsen

(PICTURE: An outdoor onsen.)

I've always said that my favorite thing about getting a massage in the states was the sauna/spa before the actual massage. Well, in Japan they have just that -- Onsens.

Onsens are Japanese hot spring baths. Since this country is basically sitting on top of a volcano there is a ton of naturally heated water below the surface. All over the country are these bath houses where people go for the water which is supposed to be good for your health.

Usually at the onsen there are a few set things. First, you can take a hot bath outside (like the picture). After the bath you can go into a sauna/steam room. These rooms are really hot so I have been staying in them for about five minutes max. After the sauna you're supposed to take a quick bath in FREEZING COLD water. The first onsen I went to had pretty cold water but I was able to plunge my head. The second onsen I went to had the coldest water I've ever felt. I got in up to my knees. After the cold plunge you can sit in an indoor bath with the natural hot water. If you'd like you can rinse and repeat the process.

Men and women are seperated at the onsens because everyone is butt ass naked. Yes, totally naked. I don't consider myself a shy person but this took a little getting used to...especially since I've been the only foreigner in the onsens and I've definitely gotten some stares of curiousity.

Conveyor Belt Sushi

I've been to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in America but that didn't stop this experience from being a lot of fun. If you've never seen or heard of conveyor belt sushi it works like this:

Step 1: You sit in a booth or at the sushi bar
Step 2: Sushi goes by you on a conveyor belt. You take the sushi you want to eat.
Step 3: Prices are determined by the color of the plate. For example the sushi in the picture is on a yellow rimmed plate which cost 100 yen. If there was a red rim it would have cost 150 yen.
Step 4: You pay for the amount of plates you ate.

The experience of conveyor belt sushi (also called "100 yen sushi" or "train sushi") is a lot of fun but I would say it isn't the tastiest sushi. I definitely prefer eating at a small sushi restaurant where the food is prepared when you order it (or whatever the sushi chef makes in my case since I can't speak a word of Japanese).

Honesty Is The Best Policy

A friend of mine in Hanoi who used to teach in Japan told me that, "The Japanese are the most honest people you will ever meet." He said that if you left your wallet at a restaurant you could come back ten hours later and it would still be in the exact spot you left it with everything inside. I thought this was hyperbole but have already had three experiences that lead me to believe this is true.

On my second day I was in Koryama I went to eat with Katie. Katie and I had come from the government offices which meant I had my passport and a bunch of other documents on me. After lunch I left my folder holding these documents on the floor of the restaurant. Yes, a bonehead move. I blame it on the red-eye the day before. Well, sure enough I went back to the restaurant about five hours later and my folder was waiting there for me with everything inside.

My second boneheaded move was dropping my bicycle lock key at the gym. Luckily I had a spare key at home and could open my bike. However, whoever found my key could have gone to the parking lot and tried the key on the dozen or so bikes that were outside. Instead the person returned the key to the gym workers.

My third reason to believe that the Japanese are extremely honest is because of this:

This box was at the beginning of a hiking trail. The purpose of the box is to put lost things in it that you might find in the forrest. If someone happens to drop their keys or even their wallet, they can find it in this box or at the police station (the police collect items from the box). What's amazing to me is that: a) There is such a box b) Thieves don't just come to the box, open it up and see what goodies are inside.

Having come from Vietnam where I was robbed my first week and am constantly ripped-off by vendors, my guard has definitely been up. However, it is a breath of fresh air living in a place that really values honesty.

Cleanse

After you walk through a torii at a Shinto shrine, you may encounter something like this:

This sink-of-sorts is for people to wash their hands and their mouths before going to the shrine.

If you're a germ freak, you might want to just wash your hands since a lot of strangers' mouths have touched the cups. Personally I just poured water into my mouth without touching lips to tin. I then -- per Paula's instructions -- did a little rinse and spit.

I think the tradition and symbolism of this act is pretty cool. I can't tell you how many churches in Europe and temples in Southeast Asia I've gone to, dripping with sweating from walking around and probably breath reeking of lunch. To me, this simple cleanse is a nice way to show you're entering somewhere special.

Torii

(PICTURE: A torii gate in Fukushima.)

All over Japan you will see torii gates. The gates are usually an entrance way to a Shinto shrine. Symbolically the gates are a border between the normal world and the sacred world. Basically this means one should let out all their sbds* before they walk through the gate.

* Mom, to save you the email an sbd is an acronym for "Silent But Deadly" farts.

Japanese Tourists

The stereotype about Japanese tourists is that they each have a big fancy camera. Well, I hate to reinforce stereotypes but this one is completely true. Even in Japan the Japanese seem to go everywhere with gigantic cameras:

Samurai Jews

There was a very interesting grave at the second waterfall we went to. All around the grave were samurai swords.

(PICTURE: I want a sword by my grave one day!)

On top of the tombstone was this image.

Yuya told me it was a god. Apparently they have a bunch of gods.


One thing I found really interesting though was that on top of a tree stump next to the grave was a pile of rocks.

This reminded me of Jewish cemeteries. For those of who you don't know the tradition, Jews place rocks on the top of headstones to show that they had been there and were thinking of the deceased. I'm pretty sure that is why we do it...and because rocks are cheaper than flowers.

I asked Yuya why people placed rocks on the tree and he said it was a way to make a wish. I thought that was pretty cool. Who would have thought Jews and Samurais have similar traditions?