Hot, Hot Water

This past weekend I jumped in a bus load full of Shinji Junior High teachers (and 2 children of one teacher) and we head off for one of the most famous onsens in Japan. The onsen is a Japanese staple. This mountainous country is quite literally sprinkled with thousands of these hot water attractions. A couple hundred years ago they were just hot springs that the public gathered at for a hot bath. But as progress and development affects all things, the water was tapped out and siphoned off to hotels or structures built solely for the purpose of soaking one's weary body.

In fact, it has become quite the tourist industry here in Japan. Every weekend loads of people crisscross the country to head for a town famous for their hot water and probably some other attraction like a castle, shrine museum, etc...just as my colleagues and I did.

Frankly, I love onsens. Once you get over the whole being naked in a large room with other people of the same sex, its just like sitting in a good hot tub. Last year there was another ALT Luke in a neighboring touristy onsen rich town, and I'd frequently go to see him in the winter months. Since he was teaching the children of the people who staffed these hotels and public bathhouses, we sometimes got to soak for free. (Even if you have to pay, the cost is only 2-3 dollars). And because the hotels are always competing for occupants, they up their designs and decor and its more often than not an incredibly relaxing experience in an incredibly beautiful setting.

So we head off early on a Sunday morning to Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. Sidenote: Shortly after we (the ALT's in my arrival year) first got here in 2006, five of us went to explore a different part of the island on a blustery long November weekend. I could have sworn I blogged about that experience but as I look back during that time period, it seems I never even mentioned it. That 2006 trip was a whirlwind of trains, drinking, caves, cramped car rides, drinking, rain, castles, trains, more drinking, rain and ended with me picking up some nasty stomach virus that laid me out for a week after I got home. Without a doubt that trip was much more exciting, but I was still interested in what a bus trip with adult japanese folk was like.

These people who I work with are for the most part good folk. Not many of them go out of their way to talk to me, but that could also be said in return. They all however are a hoot during the enkais (teacher drinking and eating parties) and so I expected as much on this weekend escape. As everything in this country comes with ceremony so did our bus trip. When we began to roll out of Matsue, a general explanation of what was to come and who the leaders of this trip were was given. After that, to my surprise, everyone was assigned a "job", all fifteen of us. Now to be fair, the jobs were on the levels of "team leaders" who checked to make sure their "team" members didn't get lost during the highway bathroom breaks, the beer distributor, the empty beer can picker upper, the nurse who asked intermittently "Is everybody feeling okay?", and so on.

Who wants to guess what my job was. Party Captain? Nooo... Comic relief guy? NoNo.... Personal babysitter and English teacher to 2 kids? Yes, thats right, I was designated the all so restful task of "Entertain the kids, when we're not on the bus". What luck right? Well to be fair, I knew the kids (who are both smart and talented young children), and they were about as interested in me hanging out with them all weekend, as I was with them. A fantastic understanding that led to the three of us, pretty much tending to our own business.

The bus ride itself is not much to write about. The longer we were on, the more entertaining it became. We watched a Anime movie (Japanese Animation) LOOSLY based off the onsen we were headed to ,and during the last couple of hours of the ride, someone hooked up a karaoke machine. Karaoke is almost without fail entertaining and when you throw it on a slightly liquored up bus..it gets better.

Before any of that singing however, about half way through the trip we stopped for lunch and then spent an hour or so walking around a huge Japanese garden. I like gardens, and this one was just as beautiful as most others. But what I tire of quickly is manufactured beauty and everyone walking along designated paths, stopping at some photo point to converse along the lines of:

-"Oh my, this is truly beautiful, don't you think so?"
="Why yes I do. It might be the most beautiful small tree I've EVER seen?"
-"Oh yes, of course you are right, and my what a nice cardigan you have on."

After two such occurrences , I grabbed the kids and we ran off looking for cooler, hidden features, disappearing from our elder group. I do not think this is what their mom, the organizer of the trip and job assignments, had in mind when she deemed me the child entertainer, but that was not my concern. We found a waterfall, a pond bubbling with enormous carp and concluded our time by eating ice cream waiting for the oldies to finish gawking.

That night we arrived at the hotel, cleaned up, had an extremely delicious enkai followed by an evening of more karaoke singing. My room that night was one that I shared with the other 8 male teachers who came along for the trip. In a traditional manner, we all slept on futons atop a tatami mat floor. Unfortunately I did not fall asleep before the vice-principal, who was to my right, was sawing logs. The was unfortunate, because he fell asleep on top of the part of a futon that it the top cover (think blanket/comforter).

Next morning, fifteen or so minutes before 6am there is movement and the not so hung over head to the main attraction of the trip. Dogo Onsen. There are several reasons why its a famous onsen. References in favored Japanese literature, the movie I mentioned above and in my opinion....an amazingly old building that just dropped my jaw on first sight. It is what the mind might picture a japanese buildings to look like.

The structure was completely wooden with cooper roofs that have turned turquoise green over a hundred plus years. All the dark wooden beams, columns and frames are intricately carved with sunsets, waves, wind or any number of other interpretation of nature. the interior, with many different levels providing several compliments toa hot soak such as massages, traditional tea and sweets room and a room with incredible old pictures explaining its history. From the ouside it looks as if each room has its own roof, and each roof is at a different height that slopes off sending falling rain in a myriad of directions . All the wood doors and windows are sliding. The upper levels have the paper windows that combined with a backlit room cast dozens of silhouettes. The lowest ground floor level is where the baths are and standing even a meter away from the wood walls you can hear people chatting and moving about in the dressing rooms.

I honestly, I wish more of them did look like this. Its picturesque.

Anywho, we get the the building to find a line already 30-40 people deep waiting to get in. At 6 on the dot, some big drumming comes from somewhere inside and the doors open. There's a flurry of activity as tickets are bought, people shuffle in, scurry to the appropriate dressing room, shuck off the clothes and head into dip.
Before anyone soaks in the natural hot waters, everyone does a quick wash. After that, its relaxing bliss.

An hour later we're eating breakfast, broiled fish, tofu, rice and a miniature salad, (Yes I miss chopped ham and egg specials) and an hour after that we've loaded up on the bus and are on the road again. I thought it was a straight shot straight back home from there, but much to my surprise we stop thirty minutes later and everyone pours off the bus. Immediately I see our next attraction, Matsuyama castle, perched on a big ol' hill. "How big was it?" you ask. Well the 10 minute chair lift we rode to get to just the outer walls I think is testament enough.

The castle was/is cool. Japanese castles are incredibly fascinating even though they all look just about the same. This castle, though not an original such as Matsue castle (my local love) is still amazing considering the numerous fires and bombings it has lasted through. A thirty minute walk around and we are back in the bus.

After that we stopped for lunch and a quick art museum visit and then the road home. If this part of the narrative seems a bit lackluster, well you should have been there. I got a good bit of reading done, (Freakinomics is an interesting read) but had to suffer through Japanese dramatic movie dialogue booming over all the bus's speakers as I did so. (Chinese water torture ain't nothing) I do not suggest the recent hit movie, "Typhoon".

At all.