My Japanese airport nudity encounter with a dozen strangers

My pants drop. My heart rate has doubled in seconds. I don’t know where to look. I’m naked in one of Japan’s busiest airports - but for a good reason.

I enter the changeroom with trepidation, crossing my fingers that there will be no one around. My heart rate has doubled and I don’t know where to look; the room is teeming with women in various stages of undress, towelling their bodies, blow drying their hair, and applying makeup at their cubicle mirrors.

Can I really do this?

Gripping my bag, I head to the lockers. I’ve entered now, so I know I’m going through with this ‘soothing’, ‘relaxing’, bathing experience. I quickly remove my clothes and, holding my modesty towel strategically to cover as much of my body as I can, I make my way to the washroom and the onsen beyond.

This is what happened when I got naked at an airport in Japan.

Danielle and her mum stripped down at the airport before boarding their flight.

I sit on the first stool I come to and, keeping my back to the room and my knees together, I look myself in the eye in the mirror as I grab the shower hose and rinse my body. A little ledge holds shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I use the products and by the time I’m squeaky clean I’ve washed away some of my anxiety about being nude. I’m looking forward to sinking into the pool of hot water and letting my muscles soften and my stress dissolve.

But first, I have to get there.

I stand and move towards the pool’s steps, towel once again clutched in front of me, and the moment comes when I must fold it and put it on my head, as is the custom, and descend into the steaming 42 degree geothermal water.

And, of course, it’s fine.

In the onsen, no one looks or talks to each other and they certainly don’t invade each others’ space. I find a spot in the corner and sink down until the water is covering my shoulders. Then I gaze out the window at the garden and the tiny patch of sky I can see from this angle, and let my mind wander. Everyone is calm, serene, quiet and I feel my worries and the tension of travel float away.

A women’s communcal onsen at Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge.

Another Onsen in Japan I visited during my visit.

I’m at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido where I’ve spent the night at the Air Terminal Hotel before joining a tour group to explore the culinary highlights of the prefecture. This airport hotel has a view of the tarmac and a reasonable price tag (AUD $176) that includes a buffet breakfast and a visit to the onsen.

The onsen is a place for quiet contemplation and all are seeking rest and rejuvenation. The water here is a flush-inducing 42 degrees. It’s a sodium chloride spring with salinity that leaves visitors fresh and improves blood circulation. This onsen calls it a “Beauty Bath.”

Because Japan is a volcanic country, the use of hot springs for bathing and healing has been part of the culture for centuries. The practice was made popular by Buddhist monks who valued cleanliness and purification. The steamy water is excellent for reducing bodily aches and pains.

After I’m dressed I head to the “Relax Room” comprising rows of recliner sofas for people to rest on. There are private guest rooms with beds, too, if travellers have a long layover and are keen for a proper sleep. The day spa has a wellness menu that includes massages and body scrubs, and there’s a restaurant offering light meals. Guests can (and do) stay most of the day in the relaxation lounge and onsen. What a great way to kill time between flights!

It took me a couple of days to get truly comfortable with public nudity but once I’d chilled a bit I was so proud of myself for shaking off my shyness.

It took me a couple of days to get truly comfortable with public nudity

If you’re anxious about this aspect of Japanese culture it’s important to remember that no one is actually looking at or thinking about you.

How to onsen anywhere in Japan:

You will have a locker or a basket to leave your belongings in. This includes all of your clothes and/or your yukata robe if you’re in a hotel. Small and large towels are always provided so there’s no need to BYO. Collect a small bathing towel as you enter the washing area. Choose a stool, sit on it and start your ablutions. Ensure that you rinse all the bubbles from your body and hair, then walk to the spa, sink in and relax.

Some rules:

● Don’t take your phone or camera.

● Keep it quiet and try not to disturb others.

● No swimming, floating, or splish-splashing.

● Wash thoroughly before entering the bath.

● Keep your towel and hair out of the onsen bath water.

● Hydrate. Don’t drink alcohol or enter the onsen intoxicated and make sure you drink water afterwards.

For the Japanese, communal bathing is just something they do. So don’t worry, be naked, and enjoy the soak.

If only every airport day started this way!

The entrance fee for the onsen only is 2,600 yen (AU$26) and includes the bathing fee, a yukata, a bath towel and the modesty towel.