A Secret Onsen in Hakuba Nagano Japan
A Secret Onsen in Hakuba Nagano Japan
Overview
In this spontaneous adventure, John Daub finds himself hitchhiking between Toyama and Nagano when he is picked up by generous locals who invite him to a completely secret, handmade onsen (hot spring). Located off the beaten path near Hakuba, this private bath is constructed from wood and fed by natural mineral spring water pumped directly from the ground. Despite a sudden downpour of rain and hail, John takes the opportunity to soak in the rustic tub, sharing the raw experience live with viewers.
The video captures the essence of unexpected travel moments that only occur when trusting strangers and venturing outside major tourist hubs. John describes the water temperature, the mineral scent, and the stunning natural surroundings featuring a nearby river and waterfall. Beyond the physical experience, he reflects on the Japanese cultural concept of hadaka no tsukiai (naked communion), explaining how nudity in onsen culture creates equality among bathers.
This episode highlights the kindness of people in rural Japan and the beauty of discovering hidden gems that never make it into guidebooks. It serves as an encouragement for travelers to step off the safe path, embrace spontaneity, and appreciate the warmth of local hospitality—even when it means sitting naked in a wooden tub during a hailstorm.
Highlights
- 00:00:01 John explains how he was picked up at Toyama Interchange and brought to a secret location.
- 00:00:55 Reveals the onsen is not on any map and is a private handmade wooden tub.
- 00:02:31 Describes sitting naked in the bathtub during a heavy rain and hail downpour.
- 00:03:20 Notes the sanitary nature of the water and the rustic, sulfuric mineral smell.
- 00:05:03 Shows the steam rising outdoors and explains the water is around 55–60 degrees Celsius.
- 00:06:19 Reflects on the life-changing generosity of meeting kind people while traveling.
- 00:09:10 Explains the concept of hadaka no tsukiai (naked communion) and equality in the bath.
- 00:11:01 Closing shots of the amazing nature near the Hakuba and Nagano/Toyama border.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00:01 Introduction: How John arrived at the secret location via hitchhiking.
- 00:00:55 The Secret Onsen: Description of the handmade wooden tub and private nature.
- 00:02:31 Weather Conditions: Rain and hail starting during the soak.
- 00:03:20 Water Quality: Mineral scent, temperature, and source pipe.
- 00:05:03 Visuals: Steam, outdoors setting, and filming equipment.
- 00:06:19 Reflection: Generosity of locals and trust while hitchhiking.
- 00:08:00 Experience: Soothing heat and proximity to the river.
- 00:09:10 Culture: Explanation of hadaka no tsukiai.
- 00:10:13 Location Context: South Alps, Nagano/Toyama border.
- 00:11:01 Outro: Nature shots and sign-off.
Japan Travel Tips
- Hitchhiking Safety: John emphasizes trusting locals but acknowledges the risk; always use discretion when accepting rides.
- Off the Beaten Path: Some of the best experiences (like secret onsen) are not in guidebooks; be open to invitations from locals.
- Onsen Etiquette: Towels are often placed on the head while soaking to keep them out of the water.
- Weather Preparedness: Weather in mountain regions like Hakuba can change rapidly (rain to hail); bring protection.
- Navigation: This location is not on maps; rely on local knowledge rather than GPS for hidden gems.
- Filming: John notes using a GoPro and iPhone 7 Plus for water resistance during the soak.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Onsen (温泉): Natural hot springs fed by geothermal water. In this case, it is a private, handmade wooden tub fed by a pipe from the ground.
- Hadaka no Tsukiai (裸の付き合い): Literally "naked communion." A cultural concept where nudity removes social barriers, making everyone equal regardless of status, age, or wealth.
- Towel Placement: John mentions putting the towel on his head, a common practice in Japanese onsen to keep the towel clean and out of the bathing water.
- Mineral Water: The water smells sulfuric and rustic, indicating high mineral content typical of natural Japanese hot springs.
- Equality in Bathing: John explains that in Japan, being naked in a public place (onsen) is not shameful but a state of equality.
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. He is hitchhiking through central Japan and documents the spontaneous invitation to the secret onsen.
- Local Hosts (Unnamed): Two kind people with a dog who picked John up at Toyama Interchange. They invited him to stay overnight and showed him the private onsen and a jade hunting spot.
- Dog: Mentioned as belonging to the hosts who picked John up.
Key Takeaways
- Generosity of Strangers: The most memorable travel experiences often come from the kindness of locals who share hidden parts of their lives.
- Embrace Spontaneity: Deviating from the plan (hitchhiking vs. train) led to a unique cultural experience unavailable to typical tourists.
- Cultural Perspective on Nudity: Japanese onsen culture views nudity as a natural equalizer rather than something shameful.
- Nature's Power: Soaking in natural spring water amidst rain and hail connects travelers deeply to the environment.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:01 "Alright, so you're not going to believe what happened. First of all, I got picked up at Toyama Interchange and taken to a place famous for tulips..."
- 00:00:55 "This is not a place on any tourist guide or map. It's 100% freakishly awesome."
- 00:02:31 "Look at that—I'm sitting naked in a bathtub during a downpour."
- 00:06:19 "This is the stuff that changes your life—when you meet kind people who bring you to places like this, and their generosity overwhelms you..."
- 00:09:10 "When you're naked, everybody is equal. There's a Japanese expression, hadaka no tsukiai (naked communion)..."
- 00:10:13 "When you come to Japan, enjoy these types of things—get outside of Tokyo, off the beaten path..."
Related Topics
- Hitchhiking in Japan
- Japanese Onsen Etiquette
- Hakuba Travel Guide
- Rural Japan Hospitality
- Natural Hot Springs
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #hakuba #nagano #onsen #secret-onsen #hitchhiking #japan-travel #hot-spring #nature #rain #hadaka-no-tsukiai #toyama #spring-travel #rural-japan #john-daub
Full Transcript
00:00:01 John Daub: Alright, so you're not going to believe what happened. First of all, I got picked up at Toyama Interchange and taken to a place famous for tulips about 30 kilometers down the road. Then ride number two stopped, picked me up, and took me here. This is a real 100% onsen—natural spring water coming from the ground, mixed with cool water so it's not 100 degrees Celsius, which would boil you like an egg. This is a homemade onsen. The people who live here made it with their hands, just wood put together. You can see the road, the river—this is crazy!
00:00:55 John Daub: This is not a place on any tourist guide or map. It's 100% freakishly awesome. I have no idea how you would find this place. I'm turning the camera around so you can see what I'm seeing, okay? It's raining really hard—now it's starting to hail. There's no price, no cost. This is somebody's private onsen they made—not a hotel or anything. Somebody put a pipe in the ground, brought the water into this wooden tub. Local people come here. It's not advertised. The rain is really coming down—you see the roof? I have a GoPro attached here for the video. Look, there's like a waterfall.
00:02:31 John Daub: The rain is coming down hard now. I'm lucky I caught this ride when I did. Look at that—I'm sitting naked in a bathtub during a downpour. This is on the way to Hakuba, though not quite Hakuba—Hakuba is in Nagano. I had no intention of coming here, but the ride picked me up and they said, "Hey, we're going this way. Do you want to go and spend the night?" I said okay. These two very nice people with a dog stopped, picked me up, and invited me to stay with them tonight. They live in Hakuba—it's totally off-road. But when you have an opportunity like this, you take it.
00:03:20 John Daub: It's absolutely sanitary—the onsen water is coming out full blast. I can smell the minerals; it smells rustic and a little bit sulfuric, so there's definitely a lot of minerals. This is a pipe straight from the ground—natural spring water. My chest is starting to turn red. This is not advertised as a place—totally off-road. This is a live stream in the rain. About 30 minutes ago, I was on the beach with them looking for jade—they knew a place where you could find jade. Then it started coming down—hail, hail balls about this big. I got hit a couple times in the head. I booked it to the place with cover. The driver stayed out there—he has a high tolerance for getting hit. He found some rocks that are essentially jade, famous from this area, and gave me one—really cool.
00:05:03 John Daub: This is a 100% onsen—not advertised anywhere. You can see the color from the minerals in the water that has created this color in the wood. The water is getting pumped out—cranking into the tub. It's really hot, like 55 or 60 degrees Celsius. This is just too cool to pass up. Look at the steam behind me in the outdoors—you don't get any more than this. This is the iPhone 7 Plus, so we're okay with water. How could I not go live? These opportunities only happen when you're hitchhiking or on the road and meet locals who introduce you to amazingly unknown places like this. That's why I'm hitchhiking, why I'm doing this trip—for opportunities like this. It's freaking cool.
00:06:19 John Daub: Do you see that above me? I found nature! This is the stuff that changes your life—when you meet kind people who bring you to places like this, and their generosity overwhelms you with a warmth you don't get unless you put yourself at risk and trust other people. I really don't know them, but they brought me here. They have friends all over town and a second house here in Hakuba. Tomorrow they're driving me towards Joetsu in Niigata. I'm so fortunate. The water is freaking hot—beautiful. I'm gonna stand up—I'm completely naked underneath, so not panning down. This is the most awesome thing in the world—here naked in a bath, and there's nobody out there unless they have a really big zoom lens.
00:08:00 John Daub: This is so awesome—so soothing, an experience. You can see how hot it is—I'm red from the heat, so it's good to get out. You don't find places like this often, and you only do when you're invited. I'm glad I could share this with you. Look at that—right on the edge is that river. It doesn't get any better than this. A lot of people have written me since I did the Kaike Onsen video about a week ago—if you're nervous about getting naked with a bunch of people, you're missing out on something really special.
00:09:10 John Daub: The fact is, the only one who cares about the nudity is you. When you're naked, everybody is equal. There's a Japanese expression, hadaka no tsukiai (naked communion), that means when you're naked, you're the same—no matter if you're a billionaire or a homeless guy, whatever your age, when you're naked, you're equal in the eyes of people in Japan. That concept is very much in effect. Being naked in a public place should not be something to be ashamed of—it should be something you don't even notice. I don't—and I just happen to be alone right now. There's another bath they went to soak in, and I'm in this one. I can't soak much longer, so I'm getting out.
00:10:13 John Daub: This is on the way to Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, between Toyama and Nagano in the South Alps. Oh, I'm a little dizzy. When you come to Japan, enjoy these types of things—get outside of Tokyo, off the beaten path, because you're gonna miss places like this unless you do. Look—underneath my armpit is a waterfall. I don't know where else to put the towel—you put it on your head. I'm used to it, but I'm not gonna pan down, that's for sure. Everybody, thank you so much for joining me on this sudden live stream. Good luck to me making it to my destination—I'm already a week behind, but thank you for the support. See you on the road—I'm gonna take a bath and maybe film a little more for the DVD.
00:11:01 John Daub: For the last 20 seconds, I'm turning the phone around to show you some really amazing nature here near Hakuba on the border of Nagano and Toyama. I'll put a link to the Google Maps of where I am in the description. See you on the road, everyone.