study break

Even though I was busily studying for the JLPT nearly every day while in Tokyo I was sure not to forget the importance of taking good study breaks. One way I was able to maintain my strength was with tea, coffee, wine, sake, curry and ramen. However, eating or drinking these products isn’t how I powered up. Instead Koko and I took a weekend trip to the Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone, Japan where we bathed in them.

The resort was divided into two zones: the bathing suit zone where families and couples enjoyed themselves and the traditional naked zone where the men and women bathed in separate places. Koko and I played all day on Saturday and then on Sunday we relaxed for a few hours by ourselves before heading back into the city.

The ramen bath was the newest attraction at the resort and yes, just like all the other baths, it was for real. We were actually taking a ramen bath! Throughout the day staff would make their rounds to each of the different specialty baths and add ramen, or green tea, or whatever else into each of them.

Perhaps the most exciting bath at the resort was the Doctor Fish foot bath. Inside the pool swam hundreds of little hungry Kangal Fish all which were waiting to nibble on our feet. The fish from Kangal, Turkey nibble away on the dead skin of people leaving room for newer healthier skin to grow in its place. Sounds good right? The number of people waiting in line for 5 minutes of time with these miraculous Doctor Fish was really long, but Koko and weren’t about to pass up this opportunity. We too waited for our time with the fish and gave it a try. How was it? Well, it tickled! take a look at these pictures!!