After descending Mount Fuji, I had more energy than anticipated, despite the 2.5 hours of sleep. There wasn’t really anything near Mishima that I was interested in checking out, other than the Izu Peninsula. However, it didn’t seem like a good option given the day. I didn’t have hours of riding in me, and all the hotels I found were going for hundreds of dollars.
I set off towards Lake Yamanakako where I had a lovely Onsen Ryokan booked. It was raining by the time I got to my accommodation. I literally spent most of the night in Onsens, both the private one in my hotel, and the popular public Onsen a 15 minute walk away, the Benifuji no Yu Onsen.
The Benifuji no Yu Onsen is a large indoor Onsen separated by gender. To my Canadian friends: These are not like the hot springs in B.C. – you are not permitted to wear bathing suits in this Onsen, or any of the indoor or outdoor Onsens in Japan. You are also not permitted to bring your clothing/belongings into the Onsen area.
As with almost everything else in Japan, you must purchase a ticket from a ticket/vending machine before entering and select your purchase options ( are you purchasing a student or an adult pass? do you need a towel??)
To be honest, the process was very structured, which made it kind of confusing, especially since this was my first time in a public Onsen. First, purchase your ticket and select from all the options, then place your shoes in a locker area on the main floor with a 100 yen deposit, you may then proceed (barefoot) to the gift shop to purchase a towel (I missed this step and had no towel!) You then ascend up the stairs to another locker area where you get fully undressed before heading into the Onsen. But before you do, please take a shower as common courtesy so you are not entering the public area dirty. Because of the “nakedness” associated with this experience, I was worried about getting confused and showing up at the wrong place without my clothes and spending the rest of the evening completely embarrassed or in a Japanese jail! Luckily, it becomes more intuitive once you get to the second floor/Onsen area!
I later found all the detailed steps on the Benifuji no Yu onsen website. It also includes other rules and etiquette of using a public Onsen.
To my inked friends back home: make sure you research the Onsen before going. Many of them in Japan will not let you in if you have tattoos. This is due to its association with the Yakuza.
Overall, the experience was very relaxing and exactly what I needed running off of 2.5 hours of sleep having just gone up and down Fujisan! However, Japan is known for their many beautiful outdoor Onsens which I am more eager to experience.