I happened to come across this promotion video for Minami Oguni today. I’m linking to the full version but there’s also a shorter version at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY2r8dh1Ing
Scenes of an outdoor bath in Yamamizuki, a fantastic onsen ryokan in Kurokawa, are included in both versions. There’s no text to indicate the name of the facility, but I recognize the distinctive location of the outdoor bath – right next to an outdoor stream. I thought it was interesting that the video noted that the “scene has been taken in the men’s open-air bath only for the commercial use” (0:59 in the short version). Actually, I don’t think it’s technically correct to say that this is the “men’s bath.” When I was there, modestly towel-clad women were able to enter the area, so it was actually a “kon’yoku” (open gender) bathing area. In reality, though, in modern Japan “kon’yoku” usually means “almost all men,” with an occasional visit from an intrepid woman.
Speaking of “kon’yoku,” the full-length version also shows some scenes of an outdoor bathing area in Manganji (skip to 3:10 if you’re in a hurry). You don’t see anyone bathing here but, actually, this is a “kon’yoku” bathing area as well. If you’re a woman (or even if you’re a man), you need to be considerably bolder to bath here than to merely enter the male area in Yamamizuki under towel cover. At this Manganji bathing site, the only place provided to undress and prepare for bathing is in full view of passersby. Many years ago, my wife and I took the plunge here after the sun went down (we didn’t have the courage to attempt it in broad daylight). My wife was surprised to spoken to while bathing by an elderly man just a few feet away. It was an interesting experience but she hasn’t requested another visit to that spot since. :)
If you’re interested in kon’yoku see
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/12/25/dont-forget-your-wrap-towel-our-female-reporter-experiences-japanese-mixed-public-bathing-for-the-first-time/ “Don’t Forget Your ‘Wrap Towel’! Our Female Reporter Experiences Japanese Mixed Public Bathing for the First Time”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/12/10/lifestyle/last-splash-immodest-japanese-tradition-mixed-bathing-may-verge-extinction/ Last splash: Immodest Japanese tradition of mixed bathing may be on the verge of extinction
http://metropolisjapan.com/the-konyoku-experience/ THE KONYOKU EXPERIENCE: Dipping into the diminishing culture of mixed-gender bathing (illustration obviously done by someone who has never experienced the real thing)
Though I’m sure the topic of mixed bathing has been looked at by and discussed in English by academics, I don’t have a good knowledge of that literature. All I could find is a book called “Japan: A View from the Bath”
https://www.amazon.com/Japan-View-Bath-Scott-Clark/dp/0824816579
but don’t know how well or extensively it deals with the kon’yoku tradition.
In Japanese there’s
混浴と日本史 https://www.amazon.co.jp/混浴と日本史-下川耿史/dp/4480858040/
which I haven’t read yet but looks very interesting had has received good reviews.
– Kirk
P.S. Here’s the address for the full version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf-pHjO3sa8
