2/13/2010 ? Kobe

I awoke on the ship to the phone ringing. It was 8am and I was not at breakfast, or ready for breakfast, as Erin, Elena and I had agreed upon earlier (whoops). So the day was off to a late start. We finally had breakfast and went out to explore Kobe. Our goals for the day were to find a public bathhouse and free Internet. 

First we went to the information booth in the terminal. We asked for a bathhouse, which the attendant translated to mean a spa. Our directions were to go Sannomiya, Kobe’s downtown district. We were told that both wifi and a spa would be nearby and we could ask at the information booth in the train station for more concise directions.

At the train station we got directions to the Kobe Sauna. We decided to find the place and check out the prices. After walking through a very commercial district we found the Kobe Sauna which was a modern day spa and very expensive. This was no good. We wanted the traditional experience of a bathhouse or “onsen.” We went into the hotel across the street and asked them if they knew of a bathhouse in or near Kobe. With only a little struggle between languages, they looked up a place called Ninomiya Onsen. This was a bathhouse about six blocks from the train station in the opposite direction that we had already walked.

Happy to have a new direction, with more confidence that this is more along the lines of what we were looking for, we thanked the concierge and turned back to where we came from. On the way there we passed a Japanese bakery with very good smells filling the street. We agreed to stop on the way back and taste the delicious smells at the end of the day. We continued walking and found a hotel, which was on the map we had. Apparently the bathhouse was supposed to be right behind the hotel (at least that is how it was drawn by the concierge). So we walked up and down that block, not finding the bathhouse. Eventually I went into a coffee shop and tested communication abilities by asking for Internet (a relatively new word that has been incorporated into the Japanese language). The woman in the shop did not understand, or did not have Internet, and pointed at the hotel we had been circling, indicating that they could help.

We went into the hotel lobby and I pulled out my computer. They did have Internet, but I was so intent on finding Ninomiya Onsen that I did not update any blogs or photos (sorry all). After a long search I did not find any helpful directions or descriptions of the bathhouse. We were about to give up when Elena took the map and asked directions from another woman on the street. The woman pointed at this large building with an overhang that said 24 in large numbers. She said “24” and pointed. We took the hint, thanked her, and continued down the street to the building with the 24. 

Once at the building we became very excited because there was a picture of a woman getting a massage on the front. However, we were confused because the building itself just did not connect with our idea of a bathhouse. It was an eight story building on the edge of the downtown commercial district. On the sides of the building were water faucets, and we saw people filling containers with the water. Eventually we picked up our nerve to walk into the unknown and we went into the building.

Inside there was a stone platform with benches that met the carpet. A sign in English and Japanese said to take off your shoes before continuing. We took off our shoes and went to the desk. The lady spoke almost no English but we were able to communicate that we wanted a day pass to the bath. She showed us where to put our shoes (in little lockers to the left of the entrance), and how to purchase a day pass from the little vending machine near the front desk. As she was showing us how to buy the pass I saw the prices for the rest of the services and thought that the lowest price of a massage was the day price for the bathhouse. I thought I, and my friends, would need more money. My friends agreed, so we told the lady we would go find an ATM and be back. She was very accommodating, eventually realized what we were saying, and nodded. We then went back to the train station to use the ATM. Then it was lunchtime.

On our way back to the bathhouse, we stopped at a fast food place that was across the street from McDonalds. Instead of serving hamburgers and french-fries though, this restaurant served different types of Udon or rice bowls. I got a tempura Udon bowl and it was amazing. It was really fun to slurp my noodles and know that it was an accepted and appreciated sound.

We returned to the bathhouse wonderfully satisfied and ready to relax. Entering the lobby we took our shoes off like pros, put them in the lockers and bought the day pass for only 950 yen (approximately $10). We then went to the front desk and gave them the keys to our shoe lockers with the little pass from the vending machine. In return we received little bracelets with keys and numbers on them (apparently, we had not needed more money at all). Our directions were to take the elevator to the 7th floor. On the 7th floor we walked out into a little waiting room with a couch and some vending machines. To our right was a hallway with a hanging cloth over it like a loose door way. Behind the hallway was another hallway that was open. All three of us just stood there and turned in circles wondering where on earth we should go. Then a little old man stepped out of the elevator and saw how lost we were. He pointed at the curtained hallway and made the motion of ushering us in. We, very gratefully, took the advice and entered. At the end of the hallway was a women’s locker room with a few completely naked women walking around. There were lockers (which are very skinny), a massage chair, a bathroom, and a make-up table with stools, hairdryers (for a few yen), and some sterilized combs, should one want to do their hair before leaving.

The three of us found our lockers that corresponded to the numbers on our keys. We put our bags in and realized we had no towels. A trip back to the desk gave us each a hand towel that would not even cover my hair, let alone provide cover for ones modesty. Back in the locker room we all realized this was the moment we had to break (not stretch) our cultural and personal comfort zones. We had to get completely naked and walk around in our birthday suits to the bath area. The giggling began as we nervously undressed and played with the towels before doing as the Japanese, and slinging them over the shoulder. Then we stood there, and realized we did not know where the bath really was. The prospect of trying to communicate through a language barrier, while naked, was terrifying. Eventually we broke through our shyness and asked one of the women. She opened a sliding door to a stairwell. All of us were nervous where the stairway led, but we timidly stepped down. First we passed a sauna room, then past the baths, but we weren’t sure it was where we supposed to go, so I continued down. At the bottom was a curtain that opened into little cubes, which I instantly recognized as a capsule sleeping area. Up we went, back to the baths. Talk about a bonding experience.

Our motto for this trip was “when in Japan, do as the Japanese.” On the far wall of the room were stalls with showerheads. There were some women washing themselves in these little showers (the showers were only about two feet off the ground, but they had a hose and could be held by hand). We all stepped into our different booths and washed down before getting into the baths.

Afterwards, we got into the largest bath (it was almost a swimming pool) that was approximately three feet deep. The water was extremely hot and it felt wonderful. In the middle of the bath was a square frame around a large jetty of water that bubbled out. We weren’t sure what this was until we noticed a sign on the wall. It was a picture of lava flows getting very close to an underground water stream, and the water shooting up into the city of Kobe. Our little inner city bathhouse was built on top of a natural hot spring! It was so great. We were just able to relax after days of walking and taking in the surroundings of Japan.

After a while I began to observe my surroundings and the other women. In the left hand corner was a little pool of water below an open pipe. From the pipe, about seven feet in the air, water streamed out and into the little pool below. A few women went under and let the falling water act as a massage. In the center of the room was another large pool. This one was more shallow than the one I was in, but still a couple feet deep. On the side of this pool were some plastic dishes that a few women used to pick up the water and rinse themselves off. To the right was a small pool with purple water. I believe the water had extra minerals in it and was meant to be healthy for the skin. Connected to the pool of purple water was a wall. On the other side of the wall was a sink with two cups attached. The women would take a cup, rinse it hold it under a faucet and swish the water, then spit it out. Once their mouth was clean, they would drink the fresh, cold water and then rinse the cup again to put it back.

I soaked in the purple water, which really was purple, and tried the waterfall massage. The water from the pipe was interesting because it changed temperatures. At first it was a refreshing warm temperature that, after being in the hot pool, felt cool. Then the water began to get warmer until it was at least the temperature of the pool. It felt amazing. Then Erin and I tried to copy the women and use the cups. A few women were over there and recognized we didn’t know what we were doing, so they showed us, step by step, how to rinse the cups and swirl the water, spit, then drink. At first we were wary of drinking the water, but the women were able to say “good, healthy” as they pointed to the water and showed the motion of drinking it. It was cold and pure H20. Some of the best water I have ever tasted.

When my body was completely relaxed and probably slightly cooked (the pool water was very hot), Elena, Erin and I washed off in the showers again and went back to the locker room. Because we had the money now, Erin and I threw on our clothes and went to the lobby to ask for a massage while Elena enjoyed the massage chair in the locker room. At first we were told that they were booked up for massages for the next two hours, which would have been too late for us because we had to be back at the ship by 5pm. Erin and I went back up to the locker room to get Elena and put the rest of our stuff on when the lady who we talked to about massages said she could do two half-hour massages at 2:30pm (in twenty minutes). Smiling to each other, we agreed. For the next twenty minutes we just hung out on a couch and talked about Japan and our experiences. Then Erin and I went to our massages, once again in our birthday suits and feeling very insecure all over again.

We entered the massage room where two women (thank god!) were waiting. They asked us to sit on a couch that was covered in plastic, so I think being naked is the accepted norm there. We were offered water as we gave them our names. Then each of us was invited to a little cubicle around a massage table. The lady with me then handed me a blue pair of grany-panty underwear (made of a paper/cotton blend) to put on. I put on the undies and laid on the table facing the ceiling. The massage began and I was in heaven; completely relaxed, being pampered and taken care of after exploring Japan. What more could a girl ask for.

At the end of the massage Erin and I went back up to the locker room and began putting our clothes on. While we were in our massage Elena had told us she would write her postcards. As I was finding my shirt in the locker, Elena walked in said something to me. I couldn’t understand and thought she had just mumbled, so I looked at her with a confused face and said “huh?”  Somewhat annoyed I didn’t understand her Elena said something again but louder. It sounded like gibberish. So my response was “Are you speaking English?” I said it as a joke, forgetting English is her second language. She responded “yes!” Then she paused, thought for a second, and said, “No… no that was Bulgarian.” We all started to crack up. Because she had been writing her postcards in Bulgarian, it was the language that just slipped out.

We left the Onsen and began to make our way back to the ship. On the way we stopped at a little bakery and a Baskin Robbins for ice cream. Absolutely relaxed and filled with yummy treats we boarded the ship with two days to process Japan and prepare ourselves for China.