My First Onsen Trip

Reading Passage

去年きょねんの冬ふゆ、私わたしは友達ともだちと箱根はこねへ初はじめての温泉おんせん旅行りょこうに行いきました。日本にほんでの生活せいかつは長ながいのですが、温泉おんせんに入はいるのは今回こんかいが初はじめてだったので、とても楽たのしみにしていました。

旅館りょかんに着ついて、まずはお部屋へやで浴衣ゆかたに着替きがえました。浴衣ゆかたを着きるのは少すこし難むずかしかったですが、旅館りょかんの人ひとが優やさしく教おしえてくれました。そして、夕食ゆうしょくの後あとに大浴場だいよくじょうへ行いきました。温泉おんせんにはいくつかルールがあることを事前じぜんに調しらべていたので、特とくに心配しんぱいはありませんでした。

脱衣所だついじょで服ふくを脱ぬぎ、まずはお湯ゆを体からだにかける「かけ湯ゆ」をしました。それから体からだと髪かみをきれいに洗あらいました。周まわりの人ひとたちもみんな静しずかにしていたので、私わたしも静しずかにしました。清潔せいけつにしてから、いよいよ温泉おんせんに入はいりました。

体からだが熱あついお湯ゆに包つつまれると、最初さいしょは「熱あつい！」と思おもいましたが、すぐに慣なれてとても気持きもちよかったです。体からだの芯しんまで温あたたまって、日頃ひごろの疲つかれが取とれるようでした。窓まどからは箱根はこねの美うつくしい景色けしきが見みえて、心こころも体からだも癒いやされました。温泉おんせんの素晴すばらしさを実感じっかんし、また行いきたいと心こころから思おもいました。

Vocabulary List

• 温泉おんせん (onsen) — hot spring
• 旅館りょかん (ryokan) — traditional Japanese inn
• 浴衣ゆかた (yukata) — yukata (casual kimono)
• 着替きがえる (kigaeru) — to change clothes
• 大浴場だいよくじょう (daiyokujou) — large public bath
• 事前じぜん (jizen) — in advance, beforehand
• 心配しんぱい (shinpai) — worry, concern
• 脱衣所だついじょ (datsuijo) — changing room
• かけ湯ゆ (kakeyu) — pouring hot water over oneself before bathing
• 清潔せいけつ (seiketsu) — clean, sanitary
• 慣なれる (nareru) — to get used to
• 日頃ひごろ (higoro) — normally, usually, daily
• 疲つかれ (tsukare) — tiredness, fatigue
• 景色けしき (keshiki) — scenery, view
• 癒いやされる (iyasaseru) — to be healed, to be soothed

English Translation

Last winter, my friend and I went on our first hot spring trip to Hakone. Although I've lived in Japan for quite some time, this was my first experience with a hot spring, so I was really looking forward to it.

After arriving at the ryokan, I first changed into a yukata in our room. Wearing a yukata was a little difficult, but the ryokan staff kindly taught me how. Then, after dinner, we went to the public bath. I had researched some rules for hot springs in advance, so I felt quite prepared and had no worries.

In the changing room, I took off my clothes and first performed "kakeyu," which is pouring hot water over your body. After that, I thoroughly washed my body and hair. Everyone around me was quiet, so I also kept quiet. After getting clean, I finally entered the hot spring.

When my body was enveloped by the hot water, at first I thought, "It's hot!" but I quickly got used to it, and it felt very comfortable. My body warmed up to the core, and it felt like my daily fatigue was melting away. From the window, I could see the beautiful scenery of Hakone, and both my mind and body were soothed. Once I experienced the joys of onsen, I knew I definitely wanted to go again.

Comprehension Questions

• 話者わしゃはいつ、どこへ温泉おんせん旅行りょこうに行いきましたか。

(When and where did the narrator go on their hot spring trip?)

• 旅館りょかんに着ついて、最初さいしょに何をしましたか。

(What did the narrator do first after arriving at the ryokan?)

• 温泉おんせんに入はいる前まえに、どのようなことをしましたか。（二ふたつ答こたえてください。）

(Before entering the hot spring, what kind of things did the narrator do? (Please give two answers.))

• 最初さいしょ、お湯ゆはどのように感かんじましたか。その後あとどうなりましたか。

(How did the water feel at first? What happened afterward?)

• 温泉おんせんから見みえた景色けしきはどのようなものでしたか。

(What kind of scenery could be seen from the hot spring?)

Grammar Points Used

• 〜に慣なれる (ninareru): To get used to ~

Used to express becoming accustomed to something. It is often preceded by a noun or the てて-form of a verb. (e.g., すぐに慣なれてとても気持きもちよかったです - I quickly got used to it and it felt very comfortable.)

• 〜てから (te kara): After doing ~

Indicates that one action is completed before another action takes place. (e.g., 清潔せいけつにしてから、いよいよ温泉おんせんに入はいりました - After getting clean, I finally entered the hot spring.)

• 〜ようようでした (you deshita): It seemed like ~ / It looked like ~

Used to express a conjecture or an appearance based on observation, implying 'it seemed as if' or 'it looked like'. (e.g., 疲つかれが取とれるようでした - It felt like my fatigue was melting away.)

• 〜てくれる (te kureru): Someone does something for me/us

Indicates that an action is done by someone for the benefit of the speaker or someone in their group. (e.g., 旅館りょかんの人ひとが優やさしく教おしえてくれました - The ryokan staff kindly taught me.)

• 辞書形じしょけい＋のは難むずかしい / 易やさしい (no wa muzukashii/yasashii): It is difficult/easy to do ~

Used to describe the difficulty or ease of performing a specific action. (e.g., 浴衣ゆかたを着きるのは少すこし難むずかしかったですが - Wearing a yukata was a little difficult.)

• 受身形うけみけい (ukemikei) - Passive voice: To be ~ / To get ~

Used when the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb, rather than performing it. (e.g., 体からだが熱あついお湯ゆに包つつまれると - When my body was enveloped by the hot water; 心こころも体からだも癒いやされました - Both my mind and body were soothed.)

• 〜と (to): When/If ~ (expressing a natural consequence or discovery)

Indicates that a certain action or state naturally leads to another, often revealing an unexpected result or a new discovery. (e.g., 体からだが熱あついお湯ゆに包つつまれると、最初さいしょは「熱あつい！」と思おもいました - When my body was enveloped by the hot water, at first I thought, "It's hot!")