One thing I read about before coming to Japan was the culture of the public bath. Being from America, it seems almost unheard of to be in a bathing area with a stranger. Although we have locker rooms where people disrobe, there is more of a stigma behind being naked around others.
My first experience of attending a sento was when I lived in Saitama. It was an interesting experience, as there was a pool with cold water, a steam room, and an outside area that had several hot springs. At first, I thought it was an onsen, but I was told that it was actually different, as a sento is an area where water is heated artificially. I didn’t know the difference between both places at first.
Personally, I do not have any issues regarding going to sento or onsen. In fact, after climbing Mount Fuji, I had the pleasure of going to an onsen afterwards to relax. It really helped after climbing up the mountain to see the sunrise, then back down again. It’s one of the parts of the culture that I like.
Questions:
1) How often do you go to onsen or sento?
2) What is the difference between onsen and sento?
3) If a foreigner wanted to try an onsen experience, where would you recommend?
4) In your opinion, when is the best time to go to an onsen or sento?
5) Why do you think sento and onsen are important?
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