温活&エステサロンKaju（かじゅ）

108. Onkatsu & Esthetic Salon Kaju (かじゅ), Beppu ★★ A spa salon that offers an enzyme bath with rice bran and onsen water. You need to book in advance on the Japanese website. The first visit costs 4400, then 5500. They give you a stamp. I came with my own towels, so maybe the separate rental is extra. It looks like a private house with a spa salon inside. There was one woman on staff, English was difficult, but we did not use translators. You fill out a form. They serve rooibos tea. Then you go wash, put on disposable shorts, and head to the area with the enzyme bath. The bath has a very strong smell of burnt bread. It is a bit stuffy to breathe. Inside, there is a dug-out pit for the body. They tell you where to put your head and where to put your feet. Then they cover your body with a shovel, cover the top of your head and your eyes with a cloth, and sprinkle enzymes there too. The enzymes feel softer and lighter than sand, warm, but hotter at the feet. Then, as I understood it, you need to lie there for 15 minutes. After a while, a woman comes, checks on you, gives you rooibos tea through a straw, and says how much time is left. For about the first 2/3, I was lying there more or less fine, but then it hit me very hard. The heat at the feet is stronger at first, and over time it spreads higher, first to the shins, then the quadriceps and knees. In the end, about 2 minutes before it was over, I started digging myself out little by little, first my arms, then my head, then my legs. When it is time to get out, you do not need to shake the enzymes off into the bath, you just stand up and carefully walk out as you are. It really got to me very well. Then you go to the shower, try to dry off, and fail to stop sweating. You come out of the shower, they pour strong rooibos tea, and give you a snack. You pay and get the stamp, with a little chat. Afterward, the skin is soft and smooth, and smells a little like bread. I thought from the format of the place that this enzyme onsen would be a light spa experience, but it turned out to be a full, serious bathing treatment. Compared with the sand onsen in Takegawara, it is much harsher. 01.05.2024