Getting Naked in Public – My First Time at a Jjimjilbang
13 Nov
I’m terribly sorry to disappoint you, but this post is not going to have any pictures. I did not take any on my recent trip to a jjimjilbang.
A jjimjilbang is a public bathhouse. There are gender-segregated areas and common areas. For the common areas, they give you a set of clothes that look like they could be prison garb. The gender-segregated areas, though, are all nude.
I wouldn’t say I’m super modest, but up until last weekend I had never been naked in front of a whole bunch of strangers. There was definitely a moment of hesitation, but then it was obvious that it wasn’t really going to be so weird. Sure, you get some stares being foreign, but they aren’t too bad. And some old women even told us we were all beautiful.
There were many different pools available. There was an outdoor covered one with a natural spring, a green tea bath, a hot bath (43 degrees Celsius), a medium bath (38 degrees Celsius), a cold bath, a carbonic acid bath, a kiddie pool, and a shallow pool full of rocks that you walked over. I experienced all of these but the kiddie pool. There was a sauna (68 degrees Celsius) that I couldn’t stay in for more than one second.
There was also a room where you could pay for a massage or for a skin scrub. I did not do either. Finally, there were many showers – you shower before and after the hot tubs.
I also went to the coed area, where they have rooms of various temperatures. There was one that was 120 degrees Celsius and you had to wear a special mask. I didn’t go in that one. I liked the cold room.
They also had a restaurant, a convenience store, and a PC room. It was a nice place.
I’m really glad I went to a jjimjilbang. It’s a good experience. In the USA we have a major issue with nudity of any kind, even when it’s not sexual. It’s nice to see that it’s not like that in every culture – in some places it’s totally normal to get naked around other people. It feels kind of liberating. You can also see that women come in all shapes and sizes and that they are all beautiful. I really think that if you go and do this, you’ll come out of the experience feeling more confident in your body, which is really important for women who are often told that they should only look a certain way.
This jjimjilbang cost 11,000 Won and was next to the Osaek Green Yard Hotel. This particular one was based around natural hot springs. Most jjimjilbangs have a sleeping area, so that you can actually use them as a very cheap accommodation option (but you’ll be in a large common room on floor mats, so bear that in mind).
I’ll definitely be returning to a jjimjilbang in the near future. It’s relaxing and fun. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll work up to nude beaches.
Would you be comfortable getting naked in public?
First of all, I am new to WordPress
and I really like that you’re doing
EPIK! I am a freshman at St. Joseph’s
University in Philadelphia (from VA)
and I got some hiking time in on the
Appalachian Trail. I heard of EPIK
and I am definitely looking into it
once I graduate!
I also had the chance to visit my cousins
in Japan. I did NOT have the chance to
visit a public bath like that, but I’d agree
that there is a larger issue with nudity
here. Everything is sexual…so of course
there’s going to be an issue with nudity.
That’s my cynical take on the US’s
pathetic social issues…great story though!
Follow me if you want! I have some stuff
going into Eastern Spiritualities!
http://wp.me/1XmLT
Ahh, cool! EPIK is definitely worth a look. I have definitely enjoyed it so far! Everyone I know says EPIK is a much better choice than hagwon (English academy), and I only have experience with the one, but it seems to have better hours and holidays
Where in VA are you from? I’m from the Eastern Shore (across the bay from VA Beach).
Those are the sorts of social issues that I find really interesting in the US. Especially since violence is much more acceptable than sexuality. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it! I’ll give your blog a look.
You know, a co-worker of mine actually discovered a place like this in Northern Virginia, right down to people using it as a cheap place to sleep. She hasn’t slept there at all, but she did exhort me to try it out lol. Glad it was a good experience for you, but I’m not sure I could do it (let alone Steph!). It’s called Spa World and is located in Centreville, should you want to see what it’s like in America.
I know about Spa World! Compared to Korea it’s two or three times as expensive as most places here… but for the US I think the prices aren’t so bad. It is, in fact, a jjimjilbang in the US, which will be exciting for when I return, if I actually make going to them a habit while here. They had a Groupon at one point and I remember Carla deliberating getting it, but deciding not to due to the nudity aspect. But trust me, it’s not as weird as you think!