Last night, friends whisked us off to neighboring Matsuyama 松山市 for an evening of onsen luxuriating. Onsen, Japanese for hot spring is a tradition that dates back to days before indoor plumbing and used public bath houses. The ritual is simple - scrub down in civilized bathing areas complete with soap and shampoo, then soak in hot spring fed baths. Most onsens have a variety of pools at different temperatures and the vibe is quiet and communal, despite what you may think about being naked with a bunch of strangers (all women, sexes are separated.) If you're ever in Matsuyama I definitely recommend Sora to Mori Higashi Dogo a posh onsen that does a lovely job of marrying tradition with modern chic. We'll definitely be back.
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