The ultimate warming experience at Tanabe Onnetsu! Relaxing barrel bath with the aroma of medicinal herbs

“Tanabe Onnetsu” in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture is one of the few facilities in Japan where you can experience “medicinal barrel steaming” where you can experience the ultimate detoxification by leaving yourself in a barrel filled with the steam and scent of medicinal herbs. Although it draws a line with the sauna, I would like sauna lovers to visit it by all means. It is such a lovely place.

The invention of a famous doctor born in Ogaki is now in the modern world

"Tanabe Onnets" suddenly appears in a residential area on the outskirts of Ogaki City. At first glance, it doesn't look like a bathing facility, and you wouldn't think that it contains a huge barrel bath.

As you head towards the entrance while gazing at the beautiful hedges and well-maintained garden, you will be greeted by a modern design noren.

A very beautiful entrance with a natural atmosphere. First of all, let's finish the reception by paying in advance. Advance reservation is required.

At any rate, I decided to take a look at the barrel bath. The 4-meter-high barrel is truly a sight to behold, and its design, which resembles the navigation system from "Kiteretsu Dai Hyakka" (?), has a great impact. The design has an outstanding impact. There is one of these barrel baths in each of the men's and women's bathrooms.

Before trying out the medicinal herb barrel steaming, we interviewed Megumi Tanabe, the proprietress who manages the facility as the third generation. Recently, her husband Kenji is also helping out, and they are entertaining visitors. When I asked about the roots of Tanabe Onnetsu, Megumi said, "It goes back to the Edo period."

Born in Ogaki in 1747, Ema Ransai originally practiced as a Chinese medicine doctor. However, after losing his father-in-law, wife, and eldest son, he felt the limits of medical science in Japan, and began studying Dutch studies under Genpaku Sugita, who was famous for such publications as "Kaitai Shinsho." After hard work, Ransai became a pioneer of Western medicine in Mino, despite being a late bloomer. While researching syphilis, which was plaguing the public at the time, he invented a barrel bath as a device for treating skin diseases.

The current owner's predecessors created a barrel bath for thermal recuperation based on the model of the barrel baths created by a great local man, and opened the Tanabe Onnetsu in 1946. The Tanabe family has passed down the bathing method and the mixture of medicinal herbs as a family tradition and secret.
The bathhouse is filled with steam produced by boiling a mixture of medicinal herbs collected at the foot of Mount Ibuki, which is said to be a "treasure house of medicinal herbs," and more than a dozen kinds of precious medicinal herbs grown by the proprietress in her own fields without pesticides.

The entrance is tastefully decorated with vihta made from bunched herbs and eucalyptus wreaths. Surprised to hear that everything is handmade by the proprietress!

Enter the barrel bath filled with medicinal herb steam!

*I am wearing a swimsuit for shooting.

When the anticipation was high, I finally experienced the “Medicinal herb barrel steaming”. The dressing room also has a nice scent of medicinal herbs. While suppressing the excitement, first pour hot water.

Then, entrust yourself to the huge barrel bath. Because it was my first experience, I was kind of nervous. Turn backwards, put one foot in front of you, and then bend down to put your whole body into the barrel bath.

The capacity is basically 2 people, and you can bathe while standing. When you close the door, a world of "nothingness" that blocks out information from the visual sense spreads out. As a result, my sense of smell has become more sensitive, and I can feel the scent of medicinal herbs to the fullest, and gradually feel at peace. When we hear the word medicinal herbs, we tend to think of the words “medicinal” and “bitter”, but I personally feel that the scent is refreshing. On this day, the barrel was filled with steam of medicinal herbs containing rosemary and highly antibacterial eucalyptus.

It's hot! ! Megumi told me that 5 to 7 minutes is the limit, but even though I usually take a sauna, I reached my limit in about 3 minutes for the first bath. There is no clock in the barrel bath (or if there is, it is too dark to see), so I used my internal clock...

I heard later that the temperature in the barrel bath is about 55 to 58 degrees Celsius. If you replace it with a general sauna, it should not be so hot. However, the humidity is extremely high, so it feels quite hot.

There is no water bath at "Tanabe Onnetsu". After taking the hot bath, sit on a chair in the bathroom and take a short break.

It is the image of a warmed body slowly cooling down, allowing the ingredients of the herbs to gradually permeate the body. "It's just like stewed food," the proprietress Megumi said as her words came into refrain, and my consciousness seemed to fly away while I was thinking of other things like, "Oh, I guess I'm ready to be eaten now." The question "How can I be 'revitalized' without a water bath?"  has long since disappeared.

The recommended bathing method is to repeat this cycle of hot bathing and short breaks about three times. It's a familiar routine for sauna lovers, except that there is no step of taking a cold bath. By the way, after the second time, I stayed in the barrel for a little longer, maybe because I got used to it.

According to Megumi, repeated warm baths gradually transform the sweat into a sweat with fewer impurities. Therefore, it is better to wipe off the sweat with a towel without washing it away.

There is only one rule when using the barrel bath. Leave the entrance door slightly open when no one is in the barrel. If you don't do this, the temperature inside the barrel will rise extremely.

Take a break in the spacious tatami room

After getting out of the bath, we spread a blanket in the hall and take a “long break”. From spring to summer, you can see the beautiful greenery of the garden through the screen door. And the breeze that blows is pleasant. It's a mediocre expression, but it makes me feel nostalgic, as if I came to grandpa and grandma's house.

Take a break with self-service tea. Pouring hot bancha into my flushed body is very stylish, and I feel that my body is happy. We recommend bringing pajamas or relaxing wear as there is no indoor clothing available at the facility. Rest rooms are separated for men and women.

After taking a long break, go to the barrel bath again. Most of the customers bring their own bento boxes, and repeat the routine of warm bath → short break → long break → warm bath… over and over again. A place where you can spend a whole day slowly getting your body in shape. (Depending on the reservation situation, the length of stay may be limited. Confirmation is required at the time of reservation.)

Experience medicinal herb steaming where steam is applied intensively

I was also able to experience the medicinal floor steaming. Medicinal herbs are steamed under a wooden bed, and the steam is concentrated on areas of the body where you feel discomfort.

Within minutes, my forehead was sweating profusely! I was surprised at how much I was sweating. It seems to be more effective if you take a barrel bath and do the floor steaming while your pores are open.

This time I had steam applied to my lower back. The comfortable heat permeated deep int my body, and I could say that my whole body felt warm and refreshed. I felt refreshed not only externally, such as in my lower back, but also internally, such as in my stomach and intestines. 90 minutes of long, slow steaming was a very special and comfortable experience.

Original goods with excellent practicality and design

At the Tanabe Onnetsu, you will spend all day enjoying the warmth, and once you feel comfortable, you won't want to leave. Check out the original goods that are perfect as souvenirs of your visit to this facility.

The MUSHI-T, which has a unique font on the back with the character for steam, and the TARU-T, which features a barrel icon, are 3,000 yen each. Available from M to XL. It would be nice to wear it as a relaxing wear on your next visit.

The “TOWEL ver.2022” (1,500 yen), which has the characters “TOH” abbreviated from the English notation “TANABE ONNETSU HOYOJYO” and an illustration of a barrel bath, is large and has a comfortable feel.

A large tote bag with a width of 48 cm and a height of 40 cm is also rich in design and practical. These original goods were designed by the eldest son of the owner couple.

Tanabe Onnetsu makes me think about 
how to deal with "hot bathing"

By the way, there may be sauna enthusiasts who already think of this, but since opening in February 2019, the sauna facility "Karumaru Ikebukuro", which has gained tremendous support from sauna lovers nationwide, also has barrel baths. Their barrel baths were made with the cooperation of the Tanabe Onnetsu.

Recently, many sauna enthusiasts who heard that the origin of the barrel bath is in Ogaki have come to visit. Megumi told me that the recent sauna boom has brought in a new class of customers.

However, unlike a typical sauna, the “Tanabe Onnetsu” has its roots in “medical care”. I have to preface that steaming medicinal herbs in a barrel is not a medical practice, but Megumi says, "When you are not feeling well or have a problem in your heart, I hope you will remember Tanabe Onnetsu.'' 

Take it easy all day and face your body. The word “onkatsu” (warming activities) is popular these days, but what is “warming” and what is “warm bathing culture”? The Tanabe Onnetsu is the ultimate warm and active facility that will make you think about various things.