Public bath 101
01.01.70
FEB 12 — Japan was not at the top of my “must-see” record but when I found cheap tickets to Tokyo recently, my friend Sally and I put together a journey plan quickly. In addition to a long list of temples, shrines, Zen gardens, ramen restaurants and uncommon Tokyoite cultural scenes, we were told that a visit to the onsen (Mrs Average bath) was essential.
When planning our itinerary, I was happy to take direction of the places to see in Tokyo while Sally did Kyoto. I was unfazed by the idea of entering a low-grade sex shop, checking in a love hotel or slotting coins into a toughened-schoolgirl-panties vending machine (which by the way, has been outlawed by the local authorities) but the notion of being naked in front of a bunch of people and in particular, Sally, freaked me out totally.
I was reminded of what Mom used to say, “I can’t understand these Japanese. They’re so proper, modest and conservative and yet they’re unashamed of taking a bath together.” (Mom patently didn’t know that the concept of bathing in private only began in the 16th century.) Mom’s prudishness came as no amaze as she saw to it that even the woman who gave birth to me should not see me naked past the age of puberty.
Source: The Malaysian Insider