Oedo Onsen - Relaxation Theme Park

 When you think "Theme Park", surely the word "relaxation" doesn't come to mind. I mean, unless you let off steam by sitting in a roller coaster. I respect that too. But of course, if there were such a thing as a theme park based on the idea of having a relaxing time, then you could probably find it in Japan, where there is a word for "death from over-working." It just so happens that the Oedo Onsen indoor theme park offers just that: a sweet escape for people hoping to get away from their routinely stresses. 

Bryan, Ty and I in our yukatas.

 After running a 7 year old boy's birthday party at the job, I was in need of just that, so I headed down with my workmates Ty and Bryan to have a look.
 Upon entering the theme park, each person is given a yukata (traditional Japanese clothing) as well as a bar code bracelet, making it so that people can make transactions without having to carry around a wallet, since the yukata is pocket-less. Wearing the yukata is actually quite comfortable, but it also serves a double purpose - with everyone walking around in traditional Japanese clothes, you do feel like you're taking a trip back in time.

The footbaths.

 The idea of an onsen in Tokyo is actually quite peculiar, given that hot springs are usually found some ways outside of the city. As you would have guessed by the name of the place, having an onsen is actually the main attraction of the theme park. This is made possible by pulling hot spring water from incredible depths. The result is actually quite authentic, even though these hot spring waters lack the natural benefits of some of the other "purer" springs, which are filled with minerals that do wonders for the skin and health in general. The full body baths don't allow for mixed bathing, but there is an exterior section to the theme park that has foot baths. Within those are small rounded stones you're meant to walk on to massage your feet. It's actually horribly painful. If you have a little extra money to spare, you can pay 1700¥ to get your feet suckled by little fish. That's practically the price of admission (2200¥) so we opted not.
 That aside, Oedo Onsen is full of food stalls selling a wide range of food, from ramen to fish on rice, as well as games of the kind you're likely to stumble upon in Japanese matsuri-type fares - catching goldfish with a paper net, pop-gun shooting galleries, etc. It all contributes to the atmosphere and make the place a viable option for a date, despite that the baths are separated like I stated above.

 For those who want to take their relaxation to the next level, the second floor of the indoor theme park is strictly dedicated to reclining chairs with televisions attached. The room is dimly lit. As you would expect, the sounds of people snoring fill the air the moment you enter the room.
 That about summarizes Oedo Onsen, really! I do reckon it's a great place to bring foreigners visiting Japan, or to go on a double-date alongside another couple. Or to just do what I did and go with a few friends of the same gender and let loose.

The Onsen Village of Kusatsu

Being riddled with active volcanoes as it is, it isn't difficult to find hot springs all across Japan. Even in Tokyo, which occupies a relatively flat surface, hot spring water can be pulled from the depths of the underground. But some towns have an economy built almost exclusively around their onsen springs, and Kusatsu, four hours north of Tokyo, is one such town.

 With my ticket in hand allowing for one overnight stay in Kusatsu, transportation included, I hopped onto a bus and made my way. Tucked away into the mountains of Gunma, altitude accounts for a little bit of a drop in temperature, compared to the recent warm weather in Tokyo. The town of Kusatsu is run by an aging population and fueled by tourism, and most of its attractions have something or another to do with the natural hot water drawn from the ground.
 The most famous landmark of Kusatsu is the Yubatake - or hot water field. Located right

smack in the center of the town, it's impossible to miss. Here, water flows from rock into rows of wooden boxes, and the residue they leave is cultivated into a dust from which any regular water can gain the properties of Kusatsu's onsen. The waters are said to be medicinal and able to relieve stiff shoulders, bruises and sprains and the like.
 In earnest, I do hope the powder doesn't make water smell like the onsen too. The pungency of sulfur is hard to bear if you get too close to the pools of the yubatake. And it's best not to try drinking of the water either. Even dipping your lips into Kusatsu's hot springs is enough to tell you that the water is incredibly acidic. I know that from experience, now.

 There are a number of traditions rooted in the extraction of the hot water from the earth, and for a small price, it's possible to see (and even participate) in the yumomi, the traditional act of singing and dancing while using wooden paddles to cool the water. Traditional song and dance aside, this method of cooling the water is still used in Kusatsu, rather than diluting the hot water by adding cold. Such an act would also dilute the medicinal properties of the thermal water. I wouldn't say Kusatsu's theme song is catchy, but it does help to have a tempo when paddling the water.
Have a look at me giving it my honest best!

 If you participate in the yumomi, you get a stamp card, and stamping it five times gets you a certificate, demonstrating your awesome ability to cool hot water with a two meter paddle. No, I'm not joking. I'm sure it would fit very well into a job resume.

 Similarly to the town of Kinugawa, there are a number of hotels dotted around Kusatsu (though not nearly so many, since we now know what becomes of that) as well as other attractions that also help pass time in the town. Though no one would doubt that these come second to the town's onsen, activities like zipline parks, golf, archery, and even a maze are available and some even came packaged with my own hotel. Though the rain on my second day held me short of trying the tree-to-tree zipline park, I still did manage to get a few activities in.
 I would've had more than enough to do had I even spent an extra day in the town, seeing as there are over 100 different hot springs in the town, and it's even possible to hike up the neighboring volcanoes in the area, but, short on time, I headed back after my brief yet deeply satisfying taste of the mountain town.

A (Short) Roadtrip!

Clement is way too primed for 6 in the morning.

An alarm rings at 4 in the morning. I bury my head in pillows. Julian asks me if I'm ready to go. I sit up and feel my brain rattling inside my head.
 Today Julian and I met Clement and Takashi in front of the New Koyo's at 4:30 AM. We stuffed our backpacks into Takashi's car and headed out towards the countryside, our destination being a bathhouse near the mountain range.

 Approximately two hours west of Tokyo is a town in the area named Kofu, near the foot of the Minami Alps. Here, we went into a bathhouse at 6:30 in the morning, hoping to catch the sunrise as we relaxed in an outdoor bath. Onsen, as they're called here, are somewhat popular outside of the cities, and many of them offer panoramic views. Though the water may seem scalding hot at first, once you sit down and relax you can feel every muscle in your body easing up. Also, there weren't any old people, so I was spared the horror of turning into stone at the sight of an old guy's junk. I didn't take any pictures while sitting in the bath, because everyone's ass naked.
Not that you can see anyone's dongs when they're sitting in the water and with all the steam everywhere, but I thought I'd spare them the awkwardness. At any rate, we didn't see the sunset from behind the mountains and with all the clouds and stuff. Sometimes you can actually see Mt Fuji, the towering volcano, from here, but we had no such luck. Regardless, the bath felt amazing.

If this picture were anymore overexposed,
I'd be seizing.

The onsen was only a short drive away from one of the mountain paths, so we also decided on a small hike along one of the trails. This spot was a popular one because it was the site of a Buddhist Monk's pilgrimage some few centuries back. Though we didn't climb the whole trail, what little we did see was quite nice.
 A few stores were also open along the road, selling semi-precious gems and stone carvings of Buddhist symbols. Also, ice cream. We stopped for ice cream.
 After a little bit of sight-seeing, stopping at one of the temples and the site of a feudal era castle (where nothing but a wall still stood) we decided to call it a day and headed back to Tokyo.