| | by Melissa Villarreal
A major cultural and hydrotherapeutic phenomenon in Japan is onsen. In the minds of many, it is hard to beat the experience of taking in the beauty of a snow-covered mountain through the steamy warmth of an outdoor onsen (rotenburo). Probably as winter befalls Niigata the place that most people desire to be is in an onsen, if not some tropical paradise. However, what really is an onsen, how did this phenomena start, and why do people love it so much? For the first part of that question, let's look at a bill that was signed in the year Showa 23 in the Japanese calendar. In 1948, a "Hot spring Bill" was signed that set criteria for what could legally be called an onsen. To qualify as an onsen the temperature of the water has to be above 25 C and there must exist a certain amount of minerals per 1kg of its water. As of 1990, 2300 hot springs in Japan met these criteria. Depending on what is in the water, it is said that soaking in an onsen can help against physical ailments. There are 14 basic onsen types and among them, some are more renowned than others for their physical benefits. Salt springs (shokuen sen) are said to be good for ailments such as surface wounds and arthritis, and they help the body retain heat (salt on the skin prevents sweat evaporation). Simple springs (tanjun sen) are springs that contain multiple minerals in small amounts and they are said to be good for neuralgia and rheumatism. Carbon dioxide springs (usually cool) are said to be good for circulation problems and high blood pressure. For a complete list of onsen types and their associated health benefits, please visit the links at the end of this article. In general, onsen are said to be good for your skin and circulation. Also, depending on the onsen type, drinking the water from the source can have different health benefits, many relating to digestive support. Why or when people started going to onsen is not certain, but there are some theories. It is said that the Japanese learned about the healing properties of onsen waters when they saw animals going in them to heal their wounds. It was also believed that the two gods of medicine let hot waters come up from the earth and used them to help heal others. Besides healing powers, it is believed that people started dipping into onsen as part of Shinto purity rituals. Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, placed a great deal of attention on purity, and there were certain times of the year and events when one was supposed to take a bath. It is believed that because of the importance purity had in Shinto, Buddhism was so readily accepted. Buddhism also placed an emphasis on purity and taught "purification through immersion." It is because of this teaching that it is thought that the popularity of onsen exploded with the coming of Buddhism in the 6th century. Because of this, as the Japanese accepted Buddhism, more and more people started using onsen to cleanse themselves. However, the way of using onsen has changed over the years because of a well-known name in Japan, Commodore Matthew Perry. It is said that when he and his men were in Japan, they went to visit a public bath and were shocked to find both men and women bathing together. Although most onsen and sento (public baths) are separated by sex, the custom has only been around for a little over 100 years. In fact, it was made into a law that both onsen and sento were no longer to be co-ed. This law was passed for two reasons-1) to show the West that Japan was a respectable, civilized nation and 2) to stop the small amount of prostitution that every once in a while went on at certain onsen/sento. However, nowadays it seems that this law is no longer in practice and there are a few co-ed onsen around for those of you who want to try the traditional way of going to a hot spring. This tradition of going to hot springs has been in Japan for at least over 1500 years, but why has it lasted so long? Although people now have baths in their own homes and samurai no longer exist to sit in them to cure their battle wounds, it is estimated that 100,000,000 people check into onsen annually. Perhaps it is not from the physically healing aspects of onsen, but from the spiritual healing and relaxation that onsen give people that makes them such a popular weekend visit. So when the stress and cold of winter gets you down, remember that there are many places within Niigata-ken to warm you up, relax you, and let you experience some traditional Japanese culture. Some Popular Onsen Areas: Yahiko | Iwamuro | Matsunoyama | Yuzawa |  |  |  |  | Senami (Murakami) | Tsukioka (Shibata) | Nagaoka | Ryotsu |  | 
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. . . and basically anywhere else in the mountainous areas of Niigata More information can be found at: Japan Guide's Onsen Page
Niigata Prefecture Hot Spring Guide
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