Quote:
Originally Posted by
markb 
I've done sauna in Germany, but that's as close as I get. I take it you have gone to some of these places? Are they expensive? I see men and women together. I had heard Japanese baths were segregated. The places you show look very nice. The place I went to in Germany was for men and women together but everyone disrobed in the sauna and whirlpools and wore towels the rest of the time. It also had a snack bar and you could order beers. It was very much a family place with kids, parents and grandparents all together. I forget the name but it is outside Stuttgart.
Yeah - I've been to onsen throughout Japan and in many jjimjilbangs in Korea... onsen aren't terribly expensive at all -- starting at around $10. And there usually are different areas for men and women, except in the remote countryside. There are also eating areas (with special foods that you'll only find at onsen), and they sound rather similar to what you experienced in Germany. Here's some more info on onsens, with a link at the bottom to more pictures!
"Medically speaking, there are 9 types of onsen that are regarded as having healing properties. In such establishments, these claims are usually clearly displayed. Bathing in the right onsen can be an effective cure for some illnesses. The carbonate spring is good for keeping your body warm. The bicarbonate-of-soda spring is good for smooth skin. Hot springs containing sodium chloride ions are good for elderly people who have painful joints; those containing sulfide ions are good for preventing hardening of the arteries, and iron-rich springs are good for painful joints, menopausal discomforts and chronic skin diseases. Although acid springs can irritate the skin, they are good for chronic skin diseases, women's diseases and diabetes. Springs containing radium or radon ions are effective for lowering high blood pressure and preventing hardening of the arteries. The normal type of spring has the lowest mineral content of all the 9 types of spring, and is a mild spring widely used for as a treatment."
http://www.pref.nara.jp/nara_e/info/03.html
