The “lethal” hot springs of the west

If I asked you which country has the most hot springs, you’d probably guess Japan. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s actually the USA, with Japan coming in second. Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is packed with them.

However, there’s a catch. While a Japanese onsen is designed to “spoil” you with relaxation, the springs in YNP will literally spoil your body—as in, dissolve it. Most of them are so acidic they’re essentially vats of boiling battery acid. If we limit the ranking to “Hot Springs You Can Enjoy Without Dying,” Japan is the undisputed No. 1.

The first rule of onsen club: Bathe three times

To truly master the onsen experience, you must follow the rule of three. We bathe at least three times during a one-night stay: immediately after check-in, before bed, and right after waking up. This ensures you witness the sunset, the starlit sky, and the sunrise—all while being poached like a happy egg.

Here is the “official” (and impressively non-productive) itinerary of a Ryokan guest:

1. Check-in
2. Bath #1
3. Lying horizontally on the tatami floor until your spine feels like jelly.
4. Dinner (a feast of legendary proportions)
5. A slow, aimless waddle outside.
6. Bath #2
7. Sleep
8. Wake up & Bath #3
9. Breakfast & Check-out

It is a lifestyle that contributes absolutely nothing to society, and it is glorious. While private baths are increasing, the traditional communal bath remains the standard. Some may feel hesitant, but there is a profound liberation in collective nudity—a shedding of the “curses” of modern efficiency and social status.

In the Edo period, Japan had a rigid class system (Shi-no-ko-sho). In any era, clothing is the primary tool for displaying one’s rank to the world. By removing it, people could experience a temporary, egalitarian world. Even the Samurai, who stood at the top of the hierarchy, supposedly cherished public baths as a rare sanctuary where they could escape the heavy burdens of their status. In that sense, an onsen isn’t just a place to be lazy; it’s a machine that resets us to our primal, naked selves. When you visit Japan, I urge you to cast aside your inhibitions and experience this “Enlightenment through hot water.”

Time travel in a bathrobe

The only exception to this productive vacuum is the “Yukata Waddle.” Walking through a traditional streetscape in your casual cotton kimono, listening to the rhythmic clack-clack of wooden sandals (Geta), makes you feel like you’ve accidentally stepped through a rift in time. The only time we actually contribute to the national GDP is during this phase, when we wander into souvenir shops and buy snacks we definitely don’t need.

Traditional soul, modern comfort

While the atmosphere is ancient, your comfort shouldn’t be. Our furniture at CondeHouse is modern in design, but it’s built with a deep understanding of Japanese aesthetics.

For example, look at the chairs in the image above. We’ve customized them for Ryokan life: they are lower to the ground to match the “floor-level” perspective of Japan, and the legs feature “rails” (sled bases) between them. Why? So you can slide the chair across a delicate tatami-mat floor without causing a “national tragedy” of scratches.

Next time you come to Japan, I invite you to treat yourself to the ultimate luxury: doing absolutely nothing, supported by the very best of Hokkaido’s craftsmanship.

---

An onsen allows you to shed your social mask and return to your true self. Why not choose furniture that does the same—stripping away the unnecessary to reveal a core of pure, honest design?

---

---