Shionoe Onsen

Stephen and Sylvain at Shionoe Onsen.

Coming back to Japan after being in Scotland is always a little difficult. It's not just the jetlag that bites (although that is definitely a contributing factor), but the sense of having readjusted to your home life and having it suddenly snatched away from you again. Your friends and family that you love have suddenly disappeared. While I'm lucky enough to have travelled with Angie (which definitely helped the transition), it it can still be quite a challenge

I was worried that my first days back would be very uneventful and that it might get me down. Additionally, I'd missed all of the usual summer events and introductions to the new JETs in Kagawa (argh!), meaning I had a lot of catching up to do on the social scene.

The beautiful Shionoe Onsen village.

Luckily, I was invited on my very first weekend back to go to the Shionoe Onsen (by that lovely Canadian Stephen Branston and brand new Kagawa ALT Sylvain Fortin-McCuaig). Definitely a way to beat the post-home blues.

Beautiful Shionoe.

I recently spoke about my time at the Shionoe Firefly Festival in June, and how I had wanted to visit the onsen there but simply didn't have time on my previous visit. Luckily, this would be a great chance to experience Takamatsu's famous hot-spring villiage (which, if I'm honest, I'm amazed is still considered to be a part of Takamatsu since it's so far out from the city centre).

Getting picked up by Sylvain in his car near Stephen's home in Ayagawa, we first popped over to the nearby Aeon mall for the purpose of getting lunch (naturally, ramen noodles), before making the long drive up to Shionoe. Sylvain, another Canadian, had recently moved in to take over from departing JET Justin Bussies, and this would be his third visit to his local onsen since arriving only a few weeks earlier. There was a fireworks festival in Shionoe that evening that a few of the other JETs would be attending, but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to stay for it, so it was great that I was able to join up with Stephen and Sylvain during the day.

Shionoe was, once again, absolutely beautiful: this time it felt even more so due to to the absence of the festival stalls that had been there previously. We were in exactly the same spot as the firefly festival had been, to attend the exact onsen that I'd wanted to visit previously. I was pretty chuffed.

The onsen itself was a very quiet and modest affair, run by just a single woman and with only a few small pools for relaxing in. Of particular highlights were the outside pool complete with the noise of the local cicadas, and the underground sauna which was - frankly - roasting, but refreshing.

Naturally, I can't show you any photographs of our time inside the onsen (I'm not one for photographing pictures of other naked men), but it was a very relaxing experience as always, and I managed to enjoy myself with one of those spectacular Ramune drinks (and, in the onsen tradition, a bottle of milk afterwards).

I made my way back into town on the bus (while, ironically, Angie would be coming up to Shionoe to go to the fireworks event herself). It was regrettable that I wouldn't be able to go to the festival, but it was still a great little gesture to be invited along on my first weekend back, and I was pleased to have met at least one of the new ALTs. I really had a great time.

Stephen enjoys his post-onsen milk.

I'd love to spend more time at that onsen, but it's just that little bit too far away from my town of Kozai. Still, I'll make a point of heading back there where I can.