Hostel Hotness: Experiencing CMNM flashing in hotels and hostels

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Innocent Exhibitionism -- Cross-cultural male camaraderie in Japan

While living in Japan, I found it kind of amazing that the otherwise polite and docile Japanese could be so rowdy and getso raunchy in the right circumstances. Most of these centered around group events where drinking was involved. I guess it happens everywhere with young people -- like ay college parties and fraternities, etc. But still is a bit of a paradox when the seemingly shy Japanese get plastered (or maybe that's just an excuse or front) and start stripping and performing what Puritanical Americans would think of as "lewd" acts. 


While Japanese are modest about nudity in general -- there are times when you can catch a glimpse of guys showing pubic hair or asses -- and sometimes a cock. I used to go cycling along some of the rivers around Tokyo. The city uses the flood banks for public sports fields or you can also see similar activities in public parks too. When stopping for a break, I could often get glimpes of guying changing clothes in broad daylight - I mean from street clothes -- stripping down to nothing or fleeting glimpse of ass and cock, and change into their team uniform or sports clothes right there in front of everyone -- especially when they were surrounded by the hunky teammates. Teams of intramural sports -- soccer, rugby, American football, baseball play on these fields usually during the weekends and holidays. Invariably, because there are no dressing rooms, the guys have to strip and change out of and back into their street clothes.This kind of CMNM scene has always been a turn-on -- it is like seeing one naked guys in a locker room full of clothed athletes, but it is out in public -- an open field.

It's kind of cool to see this kind of "innocent" exhibitionism among team members. But there is another type of flashing among Japanese men that seems to happen a lot but is not really so innocent -- maybe not really sexual or sensual -- but more like playful machismo, I guess, but it is still a turn on.

I never got invited to participate to such a degree but I have been in the room -- usually at a overnight retreat at an inn or hot springs resort where similar male stripping occurs. Without fail, some of the guys get (supposedly) too drunk to stop themselves, and end up pulling all kinds of stunts. They seem to start out as party games and end up with somebody getting undressed -- sort of voluntary (or sometimes forced) flashing for the rest of the group. 

I never got any photos -- but I found these photos on the net by a group of Japanese college students . They seem pretty typical for the kind of drunken playfulness that leads to somebody getting pantsied or just flashing the group. I used a Japanese language search engine and found these.

Japanese sometimes call this "skinship."

What is so cool about it?  Has anybody else experienced this kind of male-male "bonding" rituals between straight guys or in mixed gender groups -- in North America, Asian or Europe.?   I don't have a fetish about it , but think it is kind of cool. While these guys are sort of playing around with "sexy" homoeerotic behaviors -- maybe even identifying a bit with the homoerotic nature of what they doing -- it seems to me a kind of healthy way to de-sexualize nudity between men. Yes, there are some women at the party too -- although none of them usually get nude or show much if anything at all.

Share any thoughts or photos you have in the subject on a note at this topic below.

 

Making a visit to Japan: Gay men's perspectives

This blog entry was created in response to the posting (just below) on a gay message board. I often get inspired to write a long article once I've taken on the task of responding to someone's request for information (Photo: In Wolverine's latest X-men movie, there are many scenes of a hot springs bath in Japan.)

13 Jan 2015, 06:44   I am planning a trip to Japan for 8 days. Thinking about  getting the  unlimited rail ticket to see more than just Tokyo. Has anyone  done it  before, or do you have some suggestions?
   

 13 Jan 2015, 15:13  The Japan Rail pass is an excellent value.  There are so many places worth seeing. At this time of year  (winter), the hot springs are great value.
 There are lots to choose from, but if you like an outdoor bath surrounded by  snow,  head north from Tokyo to the Tohoku area. I once went to a hot  spring  with a geyser just a couple of meters from the outdoor bath and  snow all  around. I think it was in Miyagi prefecture, but I can't  remember the  name of it right now.  If you hate the cold, head to Kyushu: Nagasaki and Kagoshima and Kunisaki peninsula. For culture and history, check out Kyoto and Nara, only a fairly short train ride apart, and not so far from Osaka and Kobe.

 A lot of the Japanese hot springs are in hotels, so  they're for the  hotel guests, but they often have day visitor rates for people not staying at the hotel who just want to use the hot springs.  Of course, there are some baths run by local  city or town  administrations. These don't usually have much of a rest  area, just a  space for changing.

 But there's a big variety in style and cost, so  look around. Ask a  information offices (at railway stations etc). Last  time I was in Japan back in autumn, there were a lot of flyers offering  inexpensive packages at  hot spring hotels. It's worth checking each  place out a bit before  committing yourself.

   I just tried searching for "japan hot spring guide" on amazon.com, and it looks as though they have some useful options.
     
23 Jan 2015, 10:01
    If you visit Nikko (Toshogun Shrine, Chuzenji Lake and falls), or  Hakone, a lake near the foot of Mt. Fuji,  both of which are just a  couple of hours by train from Tokyo, you can still have time to squeeze  in a quick visit to a hot springs.   Some of the onsen resorts  nationwide  have outdoor hot spring baths, called 'rotenburo,' which  gives you the thrill of being naked outside, relaxing in the hot water,  and getting to see nude Japanese men (most often draping the ubiquitous  long hand towel in front).

Actually, a few public baths still  operate in major cities (and smaller towns) where you can can get nearly  the same experience for under $5.  Take your own towel, and toiletries.  

Japanese love bathing in groups so much  that many hotels in urban areas have 'ofuro' which they call 'onsen'  (hot mineral springs) - although the water is usually piped in or the  minerals are added on

site.

   You can get the feel of what a traditional hot springs bath is like  without having to go so far afield. In a few cases, there are 'onsen' in  urban areas, and also at ski resorts or recreation areas where you  might be going to visit anyway.


Actually, a few public baths still  operate in major cities (and smaller towns) where you can can get nearly  the same experience for under $5.  Take your own towel, and toiletries.  

Finally, if you're interested in having or seeing gay sex. You  might consider visiting one of the all-male saunas in either Tokyo or  Osaka (there may be some in smaller cities as well). In Tokyo, 24-Kaikan  is the most famous, and the one is Shinjuku 3 (san)-chome is clean and  active. It's also a hotel so you could even stay the night  - although  there are shared bunk bed rooms which your $24 locker (12 hour stay)  will allow you to rest. There is a large Japanese style bath in most all  the sauna, but also showers stalls with glory holes.  The largest one  in Osaka is called Hokuokan, and could be said to be bigger than Tokyo's 24 Kaikan gay bathhouse.

  I have written about the baths, saunas, onsen (hot springs), and  collected what others have said here　before (because it disappears) on  one of my blogs. You can find links to those two gay saunas mentioned,  and more detailed information by going to blog:
 http://sunbuns.blogspot.com 

To find that entry and others about Japan in my blog, type 'key words'  in the top left-hand search box, such as, Tokyo, Japan, sauna, onsen,  etc   .
There are actually several different entries.  One explains about the gay scene in Tokyo.

The  photo here isn't mine, but represents how Japanese men, especially young and  frisky ones, like to play around in the onsen spa resorts. You can  often find groups of friends, college students, or company employees in  the onsen; they make the trip to build up group cohesion and camaraderie  - which can be a highly homoerotic situation (at least from a gay's man  perspective).

Enjoy your visit...

Kelly