Postcard Bathers in Onsen Iyo Dōgo
A postcard of bathers in Onsen Iyo Dōgo. In Japan, there are countless onsens 温泉 – baths with healing thermal springs. People bathe in hot water both for ritual purification and for relaxed socializing. Dōgo 道後温泉 in Iyo 伊予 on Shikoku Island is considered the oldest onsen in Japan.
Karlin visited at least two famous onsens: Hakone 箱根 near Tokyo and Beppu 別府 on Kyushu Island, from where she brought back the tenugui towel 手拭い. Her travelogue Lonely Journey contains several passages about her experiences with bathing in Japan. She recorded that in public sentō 銭湯 women were washed by men and that there was a rumour among the Japanese that Europeans were filthy. On the back, she wrote by hand, “1. Das heiße Quellenbad in Iyo”. (CSB, MV)
Material description: paper
Manufacturing technique: black-and-white print
Inscription: 伊豫道後溫泉 第二室入浴塲
No. of parts: 1
Current owner: Celje Regional Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1957–1960
Last acquisition method: donation
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Alma M. Karlin, Thea Schreiber Gammelin, Celje Regional Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: well preserved
Press releases: Catalogue of the exhibition "Azija me je povsem uročila"
Do you have a comment or additional information about the subject?