Naked in the Onsen — Quietly Becoming One of the Group

Into The Japanese Mind  by Sio

You need to be fully naked in a Japanese onsen. I used to think it’d be awkward, but on my first visit, everything felt so unfamiliar — I was too busy copying others to feel embarrassed.

The moment I stepped into the water, heat wrapped around my body and soul. So relaxing. The sound of the water was healing. I was instantly hooked.

Later I realized, Japanese people grow up being naked with others. No wonder their collective mindset runs so deep.

Over time, I stopped feeling awkward. No one was looking. I wasn’t special. I was just one of many, quietly being one of the group.

Onsen teaches Japanese to coexist in their most vulnerable state, and to prioritize social harmony over personal comfort.

Don’t stand out — an unspoken rule. 

From physical to mental synchrony, until the entire society moves in sync.

Everyone is quietly being one of the group.

Once, a tourist entered in a swimsuit. Everyone stared. A staff member gently asked her to leave. That moment I knew, Right and wrong are never absolute — just what’s accepted at the time.

Naked on the street? You’re crazy. Clothed in an onsen? Still crazy.

Being unaccepted doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It just means this place might not be for you. But the world is vast. Somewhere out there, your “wrong” might be just right.

Sio

Resetting life in Osaka after years in the UK, France, Spain, Canada & Argentina. Seeing people and cultures from many sides.

Follow @anotherlifeclub and restart Another Life with me.