Running Cold and Hot

Dearest Rachel –

Even before Daniel was awake this morning, I was packing for today. Not that I knew we’d need it – I’ve seen enough anime to know what people wear (or rather, don’t wear) in a hot spring – but in a somewhat forlorn hope that we could retain a certain amount of modesty while bathing more or less in public. It’s one thing to see the customs being adhered to in popular culture; it’s another thing entirely to participate in the practice.

Of course, there’s a whole other reason to be trepidatious about today’s tour; it’s barely fifty degrees outside, and raining. Sure, I was lounging outside in the hot tub just the other day, but it was in the low sixties then, and there was no rain to deal with. This is going to be considerably different, and not just because of the potential for casual nudity.

By the way, in case you were wondering, no, it isn’t as if I’m likely to be taking in the ‘sights’; the blurb for the excursion specified that the genders would be separated at the hot springs (which is kind of why I assume that the lack of clothing will be the order of the moment). I’m not about to get an eyeful of someone’s goods, even if I was still wearing my glasses in the bath (which I probably shouldn’t, at any rate). And considering the clientele of this cruise, I don’t think there’s anyone whose goods I would want to see, in all honesty.

But it would seem that today is going to be a serious mix of hot and cold; between the water (aside from the rain, which hopefully will let up before our tour departs) and the air, it’s going to make for a brisk contrast.

Maybe we should’ve gone with the sweet-making tour, instead.

***

We’re not actually going to be spending our day in Kanazawa (the capital of Ishikawa prefecture – the first prefecture on our journey in which the port/capital city doesn’t have the same name as the province itself). Instead, we’re taking the expressway for about an hour to get to Yamashiro, where the hot springs are.

Our guide, Sayuri-san, tells about how the local daimyo, or lord, Maeda-sama, in an effort to convince the shogun that he was no threat to the shogun’s hegemony, poured resources into cultural endeavors, rather than a private military force. As a result, to this day, Ishikawa prefecture (then known as Kaga province) is known as a hub for various arts and crafts, such as lacquerware, gold leaf artifacts, and textiles. This is where to find high quality (and not terribly expensive, if the advertisement Sayuri-san displays is any indication) kimonos, if one were looking to acquire any.

As the bus turns off the expressway and onto twenty more minutes of surface streets, Sayuri-san explains the customs regarding the bath (including the irony that we have to wash before we get into the bath; it’s because they don’t want to pollute the natural spring with either soap or dirt), and yes, it’s apparent that I wasted effort in packing our swim trunks. I’m also guessing that I shouldn’t be taking pictures to illustrate this. Indeed, I’ll probably have to leave my phone behind, so I’ll have to give my impressions of the activity on an ex post facto basis.

After some noise and confusion in the hotel lobby (yes, they build hotels around these sorts of amenities; why shouldn’t they capitalize on such a resource, especially when it’s in such popular demand?), the group as a whole is given dispensation to wear bathing suits if we do choose. The logic behind this is that, since we’re a private tour group, we won’t be sharing the baths with locals and offending their sensibilities. Part of the reason for this is because local Japanese would stay (and bathe) at a place like this overnight; we’re here in the middle of the day, when local tourists would be wandering around the town, taking in the area sights.

While this is an unexpected cause for relief, there’s a bit of a problem with this; we left our suits behind on the bus, as did several other people. Fortunately, on our way to the baths, we cross in front of the hotel lobby anyway, and several of us dart toward the bus to remedy the situation. I also drop off my jacket while I’m there, as the rain has stopped and the sun has come out.

I should mention that these pictures were taken after everyone was out of the baths. When we assembled afterwards, Sayuri-san couldn’t seem to find everyone, and asked me to check the bath areas to confirm that all the guys had left. They had, but that meant that if they were all out of the bath, who was missing, and where were they?

Speaking of temperature, the pools are hotter than the hot tub, but not by much; we’re told it ranges somewhere between 40 and 42° C.

As an aside, here’s a quick rule about dealing with public nudity like this; it’s best to treat it as if you were crossing a canyon over a sturdy but rickety bridge. You’ll be fine, as long as you don’t look down. Although, in fairness, the fact that Daniel and I both suffered from a considerable amount of myopia, it’s not as if there’s much we can see in the first place. Still, we don’t want to look like we’re staring, either, even if we can’t see a thing – and come to think of it, if we claim that we can’t see a thing, aren’t we insulting our fellow guys?

Ethical and social dilemma aside, once we’re done with our soak, it’s time for lunch.

Daniel keeps getting asked whether he’s a vegetarian, and while that might normally would be considered a silly question, given what he’s tucking into, it’s actually reasonable, since we find ourselves explaining that he just doesn’t eat fish, and the meat dishes are almost entirely fish. Meanwhile, it occurs to me that Erin might be amused to know that I saved the salmon (both the nigiri and the little orange cake with roe on it in the blue porcelain ladle bowl) for last.

Lunch finished, we assemble in the lobby for the trip back.

It’s definitely not a rush-rush type of excursion – as we file out to the lobby, I hear a few comments about how relaxing both the soak and the meal were – but it’s still very much a cultural experience. And if we can have a relaxing time at it, so much the better.

And with that, we’re back at the ship. We probably could take the shuttle into the city, but it’s a half hour ride in and back. So we just decide to call it an afternoon, and make ourselves comfortable in the room. We’ve got a lot to hang up and dry, in any event.

So I’m going to let you go, and get back to you later. Keep an eye on us, honey, and wish us luck. We’re going to need it.