There is a way to do things. There are rituals. It’s all to do with order and respect. I’ve leaned how to don a Yukata, indulge in a Kaiseki and how to partake in an onsen.

I’m assume each onsen would have slightly different rules but at our hotel they were quite specific, although mostly conveyed in Japanese which sometime made it challenging.

The ritual begins with firstly discovering which onsen is available on the day. They switch the male/female onsens at midnight and indicate with coloured flags (red/blue) which one to go to. On entry, I select a locker – clothing, footware, towel and glasses are stored away. You must take your onsen towel with you.

Now blind, I make my way into the indoor onsen which is about ten metres by ten metres with an L-shaped pool about two and a half metres wide running along two walls and the other walls with a seated bath area complete with hand-held showers, a stool to sit on, a small bucket, lotions and potions for cleaning the body and hair and most important – the wall is covered by a mirror- just to remind you that that extra beer or biscuit did you no favours. (In fact, the shower rooms in the hotels have mirrors in them- interesting).

The water in the onsen comes from a natural hot spring and is not treated so the ritual cleasing is most important.

Next I step into the pool and sit on the ledge. It’s lovely and warm. I look around and see that the women have folded the onsen towel and put it on their head. The towel is not to go into the water. I have yet to work out it’s purpose. At one stage I heard mention of it being a modesty towel. It’s about thirty by eighty centimetres and very thin. You could wrap it around your face and go incognito I suppose demonstrating your obvious modesty -Noone could possibly suggest you’re bragging or boasting then.

Sitting on the ledge, most Japanese women are emerged to their armpits, me – to my hips. I slide down and sit on the floor of the pool and feel the glorious heat melt all my worries and concerns.

There is a sauna and a cold plunge pool to add to the experience and once all tingly and feeling exhilarated, I venture through the vestibule into the outdoor onsen where the other women are almost hidden by the rising steam. It’s hot. It’s quiet and I lie back and take in the glorious autumn leaves decorating the Kinugowa gorge.