Took the train back to Kyoto Station so I could take a quick shower at Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~. I was going on overnight buses two nights in a row so showering at a public bathhouse was the only choice I had (so much for careful itinerary planning). Then again, you can't say you've been to Japan if you've never visited an onsen right?
Probably one of the cheapest onsen around Japan, Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ only costed ￥750 (SGD $9.50) on weekdays and ￥890 (SGD $11) on weekends. Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ was obviously minimalistic with this price, with only cubicles for you to sit down and shower and a hot bath tub. But that was enough for me to refresh myself.
After making payment at a machine, I was given two towels (the rental of the towels costed ￥750 (SGD $1.25) — I made the mistake of not bringing in my towel even though I had it in my luggage) — then I was directed to a rest area to remove my shoes. You can actually proceed straight to the onsen, seperated by gender, but the miscomunication due to the different languages led me to stupidly sit at the waiting area for quite some time before I figured I can head straight in.
Even though I knew what an onsen is and prepared myself for it, I still had a culture shock there when I saw everyone removing their clothes freely once they stepped in. Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ provided body soap, shampoo and even conditioner, but because the place caters largely to locals, everything was labelled in Japanese. I had problems telling one toiletry from the other, and figured it was too awkward to ask anyone naked, so I just tried my luck. To this day, I have no idea if I used the correct product HAHA. Ignorance is always bliss.
