If I were to ask you what Japanese culture is, what would you say? Sushi? Naruto? Or the popular Kiｍetsu no yaiba (Demon Slayer)?
Not at all! That’s incorrect! The correct answer is “Onsen”!.
Onsen (hot springs) are a representative culture of Japan, and the Japanese love them.
And not only from the Japanese, they are also popular among people from other countries. Furthermore, hot springs are also popular among monkeys. Monkeys are willing to commit the crime of not paying to go to the hot springs.
There are many hot springs in Japan today, and many people use them for relaxation and as tourist attractions.
Although they are loved by many people today, hot springs were actually discovered a long time ago and have been loved by various people since that time.
So what kind of hot springs existed in ancient times, and how and by whom were they used?
In this article, I would like to introduce the history of hot springs.
In the last part of the article, we will also introduce some historical hot springs in Tokyo, so please enjoy the article until the end.
When did the history of hot springs in Japan begin?
The history of hot springs in Japan is revealed by what was written in old books.
These books include the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), Fudoki (Records of Fudoki), and Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves), which are representative of Japan.
The first three hot springs mentioned in particular are known as the three oldest hot springs in Japan.
These three ancient hot springs are Iyo-no-yu (Dogo Onsen), Arima-no-yu (Arima Onsen), and Muro-no-yu (Shirahama Onsen).
Iyo-no-yu is mentioned as a myth in the “Iyokuni Fudoki”, Prince Shotoku visited Iyo-no-yu in 596, and it is said that Emperor Tenchi, Emperor Temmu, and other figures in Japanese textbooks have visited the area.
It is written in the “Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)” written in the Nara Period in 720 that Emperor zyomei conducted an 86-day hot-spring cure in Arima’s hot spring during the Asuka Period in 631.
Touji” means to stay in a hot spring resort for a long period of time to recuperate from illness or injury by bathing in hot springs.
Muro no Yu appears frequently in the “Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)” and “Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves).
The Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) mentions that many emperors visited Muro-no-yu, and the Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves) mentions it in a poem.
The “Iyokuni Fudoki,” “Nihon Shoki,” and “Manyoshu” were all written in the Nara period (710-710), which indicates that hot springs in Japan had been discovered and loved for more than a century. Hot springs have been used by people for more than 1,300 years.
Hot springs as a therapeutic bath in the Warring States Period
The period from 1467 to 1615 was a time of much warfare in Japan and is known as the Sengoku period.
During the Warring States Period, hot springs were often used by warriors injured in battles as a therapeutic bath to quickly heal injuries or to relieve fatigue.
High-quality hot springs were also much favored in order to get soldiers back to work as quickly as possible for battle.
Some soldiers loved the hot springs so much that they did not go to battle, but bathed in them all the time. (That’s a lie. But if I were a soldier back then, I would have done the same.)
Famous hot spring resorts were also used, but such places were often overflowing with people, so warlords occupied rarely visited hot springs in mountainous areas in order to give priority to the wounded.
These were called “hidden hot springs.” In japanese “Kakushi Yu”.
Touji (hot-spring cure) in the Warring States period was often used by warlords whom everyone knows.
For example, Nobunaga Oda. Oda Nobunaga visited Gero Onsen, one of the three best hot springs in Japan, with his vassal Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi liked Arima Onsen as a place for a hot-spring cure. Arima Onsen is also one of the three best springs in Japan.
Tokugawa Ieyasu also liked Atami Onsen, and Takeda Shingen was famous for having many hidden hot springs.
In this way, even famous military commanders who are well-known to everyone loved hot springs as a therapeutic bath during the Warring States period.
Popularization of hot springs to the general public and as a tourist attraction
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the publication of books and illustrated guides to hot springs increased.
During this period, onsen were used not only as a therapeutic bath, but also as a way to travel.
This led to the publication of books and illustrations that could be used for reasons other than hot-spring cures.
One of the most famous is the “Seven Hot Springs Tour” of Hakone Onsen.
In the latter part of the Edo period (1603-1867), people began to use hot springs for one-day cures or for short trips to the hot springs.
To cater to these tourists, hot spring resorts offered entertainment and souvenirs.
In some places, geysers were enjoyed as a spectacle. A geyser is a hot spring that spurts out hot water and steam after a certain period of time. Because they were too hot to enter, people enjoyed watching the hot water spurt out.
Some people may think, “What’s the fun in watching hot water spouting out?
The power is one thing, but the most attractive thing about a geyser is the time you spend waiting impatiently for the hot water that seems to be about to erupt, but never does.
Thus, hot springs, which until now had been used as a therapeutic bath, became commercial in the latter part of the Edo period.
Then, the Edo Period ended and the Meiji Period began.
At the beginning of the Meiji Era, the Meiji government analyzed the components of hot springs and tried to expand the use of hot springs to the general public, focusing on their efficacy as a therapeutic bath.
However, with the development of transportation networks and media, people began to seek the convenience and enjoyment of hot springs.
As a result, hot springs have been used by people as a tourist attraction, just as they are today, rather than as a therapeutic bath.
Akebono-yu, a historic public bathhouse in Tokyo
＜https://tokisen.net/216/＞
Finally, I would like to introduce the oldest public bathhouse in Tokyo.
Akebono-yu” is the oldest public bathhouse in Tokyo.
Akebono-yu was founded in 1773, in the late Edo period, and is the oldest public bathhouse in Tokyo, directly pumping up natural hot spring water.
Akebono-yu was originally opened for people staying in Funabori, and has been in operation for about 250 years.
There is no other hot spring in Tokyo that has been loved for such a long time, and Akebono-yu is the oldest hot spring in Tokyo.
Akebono-yu Information
| Access | 5 minutes on foot from Funabori Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line |
| Telephone number | 03-3680-5611 |
| Official website | http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~akebonoy/ |
| Holidays | Thursday, Friday |
| Business hours | 15:30-23:00 Sunday and holidays: 14:00-23:00 |
Conclusion
In this issue, we have introduced the history of hot springs.
In summary, hot springs were discovered before 1,300 years ago, and were favored by emperors and warriors as a therapeutic bath for a long time. In the Edo and Meiji periods, they were enjoyed by the general public as tourist attractions and recreational activities.
Onsen are one of the most fascinating aspects of Japanese culture. Knowing the history of such hot springs will help you enjoy Japanese hot springs even more. Please be sure to visit Akebonoyu, the oldest hot spring in Tokyo, introduced in the last article.
Thank you very much for your time.
