Ashiyu - Foot Spas

Apart from the famous onsen and public baths, called sentou, very numerous are also the places to wash the feet in warm water coming from natural hot springs. Ashiyu 足湯 means "footbath" - ashi 足 foot, and yu 湯 hot water. Feet are washed separately, then one steps into the hot spring water, while sitting on a bench. It is relaxing and much liked by everybody.

Such places are found along the way and are usually free of cost. This is one example in Arima Onsen. The place was closed in fact, thus the water is missing. And the colour comes from the water composition.

This is another example of ashiyu in Nagasaki. I shyly stole a glance with the camera. Some ladies were relaxing there and I gingerly took this photo from a wrong angle, in order to inconvenience them as little as possible.