Who said bathhouses were just for the ancient Greeks and Romans? Well, the Japanese didn’t – and they have more than a thousand years of history to prove it.
Today, one of its finest hot springs, Hakone Kowakien Yunessun located in Hakone in the Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, offers not only hot springs, but a spa resort, a water amusement park for the family – and spa pools where you can bathe in Japanese Sake, green tea, coffee or red wine.
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun for a Unique Spa Experience
Located just two hours from Tokyo, Hakone Kowakien Yunessun is known as the best onsen experience that Japan has to offer. Here’s a look at a few of the interesting and unique spa offerings – you’ll think twice about swallowing the water at Hakone Kowakien Yunessun’s Yunessun Spa Resort:
Bathe in Red Wine at the Wine Spa: a one-of-a-kind, this spa bath offered by Hakone contains red wine – so you’ll bathe just like Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, who was known to bathe in wine. Throughout the day, there are regular performances of people coming to “fill” the pool with bottles of wine. Bring your Riedel glasses.
Relax in Japanese Sake at the Sake Spa: another one-of-a-kind, a huge cask of Japanese Sake constantly drips sake into the sake spa pool. It’s believed that sake is good for your skin.
Soak in Coffee at the Coffee Spa: if you love coffee, then this is a dream come true – bathing in coffee. The coffee is made from the hot spring waters and this particular pool at the spa is said to help you recover from fatigue and wake you up (go figure!). I wonder if they use instant coffee mix.
Sip and Soak in the Green Tea Spa: contains real green tea and the room includes a huge 2-meter tall tea pot whose spout imitates it pouring into the pool. The tea is sourced from the Tanzawa and Hakone mountains and contains anti-oxidants which are good for fighting tumours, enhancing the immune system and also good for your skin.
The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun also offers other spa themes including the God’s Aegean Sea, the Turkish Hamam, the Dragon Waterfall, Rodeo Mountain, the Ancient Roman Bath, a Floating Bath and more!
About the Japanese Onsen or Hot Spring
Well, in Japan, traditional onsen or hot spring and sento or public bath, have been part of its day-to-day culture for over a thousand years. Because Japan has volcanically active lands, thousands of geothermically heated hot springs or onsen exist throughout the country. Visitors come to soak in the waters for an hour with colleagues from work, friends, family and couples. The waters are believed to hat healing powers from its minerals. Most onsen have a no-swimsuit or no-clothing policy.
Both today and historically, the onsen has played a big role in Japanese culture and etiquette. It’s perfect for the 12-hour days many Japanese workers put in and the mutual nakedness or naked communion involved in the onsen is heralded as a way to break down hierarchies and differences between each other.
For more information, please visit: http://www.yunessun.com/english/yunessun.html