Onsen

Ok, so I finally went to an Onsen! (Japanese Hot Spring) And let's just say this is definitely everyone should experience at some point! Anyway, AIU Student Services were nice enough to tell me how to get to one in Akita City. This took me a little while since as I think I mentioned before, Akita City is no Tokyo and you can't expect to see signs in English or for people to understand it.

Still, the attendants at the Onsen once I got to it were very nice and explained everything to me. Probably one of the things that I like here, when you look confused people will try to help you. Here is how it works:

1. you arrive into the lobby (The onsen was in a Hotel), and then you put your shoes in a locker.

2. Buy a ticket from a machine

3. Enter the "Onsen Lobby", rather then the "Main Hotel Lobby", give the tickets to the attendants and get another locker key as well as a towel if you want.

4 Go to the locker room, undress, lock your stuff in a locker

5. Wash yourself (Dictated by cleanliness etiquette that you wash yourself before going into the pools). The Showers have soap and shampoo

6 Then Soak.

Now, there were a lot of pools there of different shapes and sizes, I think they had different minerals, but the descriptions were in Japanese (plus I did not have my glasses), so I'm not sure. Anyway, after wards I definitely had a "regenerated body and soul" type of feeling. I am coming back here...soon. Of course now I also want to find some "open air" springs, before it gets too cold. So, on to research...