coastal alt/indie rock

​​Field Notes​​

​

Onsen baths - one of the most intriguing, mysterious, and frightening features of Japan for a foreigner.​​

​

It can be incredibly stressful as an outsider. People we don't know. Nakedness we're not comfortable with. Rules and customs that we are completely unaware of.

​

Their comfort makes us that much more uncomfortable.

​

And yet - 

​

• the settings are incredible, indoors or out

• rituals are fascinating

• and the water is amazing

​

The best way to visit is with Japanese friends - and I means friends. Not colleagues. A work onsen trip freaked me out. If you can't do it with really good friends, then a private onsen booking is the perfect compromise.

​

We were fortunate enough to find a few of those moments over the years and I treasure them:

​

steam rises, soft and slow

a sacred warmth our bodies know

​

till​

​

in this moment, pure and clean

as we bathe, we’re serene

​​

For whatever reason, it took 22 years for me to write this song in 2025.​ I was playing with a koto library and the music began to flow along with some of the lyrics. When it came out, it was easy... like soaking in an onsen.

​

​

Lyrics

 

VERSE 1:

steam rises, soft and slow

a sacred warmth our bodies know

her gaze serene, her spirit light

a quiet glow, soft but bright

 

VERSE 2:

the water dances, calm and clear

a moment's peace, a heart sincere

these wooden walls frame her quiet grace

while waters form a sacred place

the cedar air, the soothing stream

a fleeting world, a floating dream

she sits and glows with morning’s light

her presence turns the dark to bright

 

CHORUS:

AT THE ONSEN, where the world is still

a quiet strength, a gentle will

through the steam, life softly spins

AT THE ONSEN, peace settles in

 

VERSE 3:

my breath aligns with nature's flow

it’s a silent rhythm the forests know

a sip of sake, we share the taste

no moment here will go to waste

 

VERSE 4:

a single drop slides down her skin

the world dissolves, and dreams begin

through the mist, the world rewinds

to simpler truths we long to find

the air is soft, the heat ascends

a moment where the body mends

in this moment, pure and clean

as we bathe, we’re serene

​

CHORUS:

Details

• key: C

• tempo: 135

• time: 4/4

• year: 2025

• location(s): Izu, Japan; Urushima, Japan; other locations

• mood: relaxation

• theme: being one with water and nature

• instruments: koto acoustic 12-string, bass, drums

• recording status: released

• registered: ℗ 2025, glenn cash hughes

​

Related Songs

• by place: harajuku blue

• by mood: minimal, evening calm

• by theme: evening calm