Toshimaen Onsen & Happy Adult Day!

Today Stuart took me to Toshimaen Onsen, a new hot spring in Tokyo. Our way there was interesting because Stuart realized that today in Japan was actually a holiday. It's the day when all the people who turned 20 in the past year celebrate their adulthood. It's called Seijin-no-Hi. They dress up in traditional kimonos, which are absolutely gorgeous. All of the women were wearing kimonos but most of the men just wore suits, though some of the men wore traditional kimonos. I was so upset I didn't bring my camera because we ended going to the actual gathering place of one of the districts' celebration! I didn't bring my camera, though, because I thought it'd be weird bringing a camera to a hot spring where everyone's naked. haha. So HERE is a montage video I found online of pictures of the new adults dressed up! It also provides some information, which is nice.

Being at the hot spring was really awkward at first, but it was actually really enjoyable after I got used to being naked around everyone (and by "everyone" I mean "other women"; the sexes are separated). I'm glad I decided to check out THIS website to check up on what I'm supposed to do and the proper etiquette. Otherwise I would have been completely lost as to what to do. It was really nice, though. It probably would have been more fun if I had had a friend with me so I could talk to someone and relieve some of the tension about whether I was doing things properly. It was really a rather enjoyable experience! The outside hot spring was the best because the water was SO hot and have the freezing cold air on my shoulders and face made it feel perfect. My face was red for a couple hours afterward, though. haha.

Then Stuart and I went to get him a futon, which in Japan is really just a pad to put on the floor to sleep on. It was a lot of fun picking one out and then trying to distinguish blanket cases from futon cases. Eventually we found something that nearly matched in dimensions and assumed we had the right thing. Fits perfectly so I guess we got it right! Now I can sleep without making one entire side of my body going numb!

Tomorrow we're planning on going to the Imperial Grounds! I'm really excited! Yay! And for anyone who doesn't know my facebook, HERE are my photos so far from the trip! Hopefully it updates automatically and I don't have to keep reposting the link. It's faster to put the photos up on facebook than in here, and unfortunately Stuart's computer is a bit too slow. Enjoy the photos!