I don't know about you, but it was the first time for me. Oh, I've gone to the public bath before, but this was a planned trip. The teacher's baseball team from the high school I am teaching at, decided it was time for some team bonding. So, they organized a weekend in the mountains to relax in an onsen. An onsen is a natural hot spring bath.
Japan is a volcanic nation and so underneath the surface flows hot, sometimes boiling, water.
We went to Asahidake, which is in the middle of Japan's largest national park. It was cold outside, but the place we stayed was nothing short of cozy. We stayed nine men to a room, with all of us sleeping on the floor using the futons they provided. If you ever go to Asahidake, don't worry about packing anything. Everything is provided for you, from dinner to the bath robe, to breakfast and a toothbrush.