Shikoku: A Good Day of Cycling Deserves a Hot Soak

There are few better ways to finish a day of cycling in Japan than lowering yourself into a steaming hot bath. Particularly when you've spent the afternoon exploring quiet country roads, passing through small villages and discovering what lies around the next bend.

On Shikoku, Japan's smallest main island, bathing is one of the pleasures of the journey. From a hot spring with its own imperial bathing room to a neighborhood bathhouse and a rooftop soak overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, the island offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy a distinctly Japanese tradition.

Of course, there's one small detail that occasionally surprises first-time visitors.

Take everything off

Traditional Japanese onsens are generally communal baths, separated by gender, where bathing suits are not part of the arrangement. Neither, for that matter, is anything else.

For travelers accustomed to swimming pools and hotel spas, the idea of sharing a bath with a roomful of naked strangers can require a little adjustment. For Japanese bathers, it's simply an ordinary part of life.

There is, however, the matter of the little towel.

Most bathhouses provide or allow you to bring a small towel, which offers a modest degree of coverage as you make your way toward the water. Unfortunately, its usefulness ends at the edge of the pool, since towels aren't supposed to go into the bath.

Some bathers fold theirs neatly and balance it on their heads. Others leave it nearby.

But don't underestimate that little towel. Once you've finished soaking, it doubles as your drying towel, a job it performs remarkably well considering its rather modest dimensions.

Fortunately, after a few minutes soaking in hot water, most newcomers discover that nobody is particularly interested in what anyone else is wearing. Which, of course, is nothing.

A bath fit for an emperor

In Matsuyama, the celebrated Dogo Onsen has been welcoming bathers for a very long time. Its history is traditionally said to stretch back some 3,000 years, making it one of Japan's oldest hot spring destinations.

The magnificent wooden Honkan, or main bathhouse, dates from 1894. With its intricate rooflines, narrow corridors and traditional architecture, it looks rather like a building that might have wandered out of an earlier century and decided to stay.

Dogo also has something few other bathhouses can claim: a bathing room reserved exclusively for Japan's imperial family.

The Yushinden imperial bathing suite was built in 1899 and includes a private bath, changing rooms and other facilities designed for imperial visits. Emperor Showa was among those who used it.

Ordinary visitors can tour the historic rooms, although actually taking a dip in the imperial bath is another matter entirely.

Apparently, some bathing privileges are inherited.

From neighborhood baths to temple grounds

Not every Japanese bathing experience comes with elaborate architecture or an imperial guest list.

In the coastal town of Nio, our accommodations are beautifully restored traditional Japanese houses. Nearby is an old-fashioned neighborhood public bath, the sort of place where bathing is simply part of daily life.

There's something appealing about the contrast. Dogo has its centuries of history and famous visitors; Nio has a neighborhood bath where local residents can drop in for their usual soak.

Farther along our journey, our overnight lodging in Zentsuji sits on temple grounds and has its own outdoor bath, Daishi no Satoyu. After a day exploring Shikoku's countryside, an evening soak in the open air is a particularly pleasant way to settle in.

These smaller bathing experiences offer a glimpse of a Japanese custom that has little to do with luxury or sightseeing. A bath is simply a good way to end the day.

And in Japan, there's rarely any reason to rush it.

A bath with a view

By the time we reach Takamatsu, our final stop, the bathing experience takes another turn.

At the Hanajyukai, the public hot spring baths look out over the city and the Seto Inland Sea. From this elevated perch, rooftops stretch toward the water, with islands scattered across the horizon.

It's quite a contrast to the neighborhood bath in Nio or the historic wooden corridors of Dogo. But the pleasure is much the same: hot water, a chance to relax and a little time to enjoy the surroundings.

Throughout our Shikoku bicycle journey, we stay in a mix of traditional ryokans, restored Japanese houses and more contemporary accommodations. The styles vary, but the pleasure of a good bath remains a recurring theme.

And by the time we reach Takamatsu, sitting in a steaming bath overlooking the city and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, it's easy to understand why soaking in hot water has been part of Japanese life for so many centuries.