There is nothing better than taking care of yourself, right? Now that fall is here and fall festivities are going to kick off, it’s time to prepare by taking care of yourself with some self-care activities! Read these six tips on what you can do for self-care this fall in Japan.
It’s no secret that I love self-care and taking care of my mental health so that I’m at my happiest and can live my life to the fullest. That happiness also comes from giving tips to help others take care of their mental health. It’s all about enjoying life, right? You can’t do that if you’re not in the right headspace! Here are some things you can do around Japan that will help you feel good as you move toward the end of the year. The locations I list are specific to Osaka, but I’m sure you can find these activities in other areas of Japan.
Of course I have to mention the Onsen! It’s one of my favorite places to go, especially during fall and winter. There’s nothing like cold weather and a hot bath to really make your body feel good.
I am going to link some that I recommend below!
If you are wondering about the differences between them. Simply put, it’s that:
Onsen uses natural spring water.
Sento uses hot water in man-made bathtubs.
I’ve recently been reading about the benefits of taking hot baths and then switching to cold baths (or showers). The “shock” that it does to your system is really beneficial for your body. I highly recommend that you look into it.
All that was once broken can be fixed :). This is one of the more popular Japanese art forms that people know. Kintsugi is the art form that Japanese people back in olden days created where you take items of value that are cracked or broken, and use some sort of lacquer to glue it back together before using gold or silver paint to cover the previous cracks.
Everything about the meaning of this word to the actual action of taking what is broken, such as with a bowl, and piecing it back together is absolutely beautiful. Here is a workshop in the Kansai area that you can go to in order to do this activity.
Need I say more? The weather is getting cooler, enjoy it by getting your body outside and moving! Hiking is the best way that you can do that. Osaka has so many wonderful places that you can go hiking in, one specific hiking area that everyone talks about is Minoh where it also has a beautiful waterfall that you can see along your hiking journey. Please check out these areas if you are thinking about going hiking.
2)城見緑道
We were born to create, that also means with food haha. Why not go to one of these workshops in Japan where you can get another Japanese experience checked off your list? Here are three ideas and three different locations that you can go to in the Kansai area in order to make some yummy foods that will warm not only your belly but your heart as you learn and immerse yourself in Japanese culture.
This is one of, if not, one of the hottest activities during fall time. I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something special about the leaves changing colors, a.k.a. Koyo, it feels like there’s a new change in the air and that good things are on the way. To see the Fall foliage, I recommend going to Minoh Falls and Minoh Park!
It’s a hot spot because of all of the nature and trees in this area. It’s a hotspot and probably the best place to go for koyo leaves honestly!
Make sure to pick up a leaf or two and put them in your wallet for good luck for the rest of the year, It’s a Japanese superstition I think 😉
Lastly, this one is a bit of a bonus, but you can do candle-making. All of the materials can be found online (search ‘candle-making kit’, I got mine from SHEIN I think). Some craft stores might have the material too, but you would have to buy them individually.
If you don’t know how to make a candle, don’t worry. For my university project last year I had to do an assignment where I had to teach something. I decided to do candle making haha. Here is the tutorial video that I created for that assignment~
How to Make a DIY Aroma Candle at Home
Make sure to be kind to yourself this fall and to really take care of yourself. Fall is one of the best seasons in my opinion and I’m sure that all of us are excited for fall to come after such a hot summer. Please do these activities and go to the suggested places in order to feel at your best. Have yourself a lovely and relaxing fall~~~
