Onsen

Our hotel in Fujikawaguchiko, called Rakuyu, had a lot of amenities to give its guests a traditional Ryokan experience. Our room had an area with the Tatami mats (with futon beds provided if we wanted to sleep there). We had Yukatas (traditional Japanese robes) and the hotel encouraged all guests to wear them in the common spaces. And last but not the least, there was a public and a private Onsen (hot spring bath). We tried the public Onsen early in the morning. The male and female baths were separated so Divya and I went separate ways. It was an interesting experience. I had never been fully naked in a public bath before, so I was a bit iffy. But there was nobody in the bath at the time so I had the whole Onsen to myself. The view was amazing facing the Kawaguchiko lake. The water was almost 40 degrees celsius, a bit too hot for my liking. After a while, the heat made me uncomfortable enough that I left. Divya had a much more pleasant experience. The heat did not bother her and she came back very relaxed. Later in the day, we tried the private Onsen, where we could both go in together. Again, the lake view was great. After the bath, we got the complimentary cocktail and snacks in the hotel restaurant and then ended the day by watching “Lost In Translation”, a movie both of us had already seen but we were keen to watch it again because of its depiction of Japan and its unique culture.Read more