泡漫畫的好地方 / A great place to soak in comics

當您聽到泡漫畫時，您想到甚麼？是泡在漫畫書店中，沉浸於各種有趣的漫畫世界嗎？還是拿一本漫畫書，用熱水，像泡泡麵的方式一樣，把它泡爛呢？還是泡在溫泉池中，看著漫畫書呢？我的直覺是選擇，沉浸於各種有趣的漫畫世界，但是，這個地方，是日據時代時的公共澡堂，人們來這裡，主要是來泡湯的，不過，現在展場用可愛漫畫元素，敘說人們澡堂泡湯的各種體驗。

剛好最近天氣變冷了，而全島具有豐富且多樣的溫泉資源，如台北北投的火山硫磺泉，是知名的溫泉勝地，礁溪的平地溫泉，多為碳酸氫鈉泉，俗稱「美人湯」，水質滑順，有助於保養肌膚，很適合一日遊行程，綠島朝日溫泉是世界少有的海底溫泉之一，可惜前陣子颱風時，被吹壞了，不知道何時才能修復完畢。

在澡堂展區，一入館就需要脫鞋子，澡堂是日式湯屋結構，我很喜歡走在木地板上的感覺，就像我印象中的澡堂一樣，有分男、女浴池，男浴池裡面有長頸鹿、貓咪、猴子正在泡湯，我看見好多人在這個場景拍照打卡，男浴池內有幾座互動螢幕，遊客可以在螢幕上塗鴉，還蠻有意思的，一進入女浴池，就有日本仕女的入浴圖，不是限制級的，要不然就尷尬了，相較於男浴池的明亮，這裡陰暗了不少，可能是為了投影動畫的效果。

還有一處規劃為休憩區，方便泡完澡的人們，可以坐下來休息，也可以下棋打發時間，展館各處有數座互動螢幕，介紹泡湯文化，像是泡湯禮儀或浴場規定等，還有一大片留言牆，上面是之前拜訪的遊客們的創作，我看到不少人留下了他們的漫畫創作，或許其中的某一篇留言，是數年後的某位漫畫大師的作品喔！整體而言，這個展館，相對使用較多互動科技技術，讓導覽生動鮮明，是個可以逛個半小時的好地方。

When you hear the term soaking in comics, what comes to mind? Is it immersing yourself in a comic bookstore, diving into a world full of interesting stories? Or maybe soaking a comic book in hot water, like cooking instant noodles until it turns to mush? Or even sitting in a hot spring while reading comics? My first instinct is to imagine getting lost in all kinds of fun comic worlds. However, this place I’m talking about is actually a public bathhouse from the Japanese colonial period. People originally came here for hot baths, but now the exhibition uses adorable comic elements to tell the story of people’s experiences soaking in bathhouses.

With the weather turning colder lately, it feels like the perfect time to talk about Taiwan’s rich and diverse hot spring culture. For example, Beitou in Taipei is famous for its volcanic sulfur springs and is a well-known hot spring destination. Jiaoxi offers flatland hot springs, mostly sodium bicarbonate-based and nicknamed “beauty springs” for their silky smooth water that’s great for skincare—perfect for a day trip. Then there’s the Chaojih Hot Springs on Green Island, one of the world’s rare undersea hot springs. Unfortunately, it was damaged during a recent typhoon, and I’m not sure when it’ll be fully repaired.

At the bathhouse exhibition, you need to take off your shoes upon entering. The space is styled like a traditional Japanese bathhouse with wooden floors, which I love walking on—it feels exactly how I imagine an old bathhouse would. There are separate areas for men and women. In the men’s bath area, you’ll find giraffes, cats, and monkeys enjoying a soak, making it a popular spot for people to snap photos for social media. There are also interactive screens where visitors can draw, which adds a fun touch. The women’s bath area features illustrations of Japanese women bathing—not R-rated, thankfully, or that would be awkward! Compared to the bright and lively men’s area, the women’s side is a bit darker, likely to enhance the projection effects of the animations displayed there.

There’s also a designated rest area for people to relax after their “bath.” You can sit, unwind, or even play chess to pass the time. Throughout the exhibition, interactive screens teach visitors about bathhouse culture, like proper etiquette and rules. There’s also a huge message wall filled with creative notes left by previous visitors. Many of them are comic-style drawings—who knows, maybe one of these scribbles will belong to a future comic master! Overall, the exhibition makes great use of interactive technology to bring the bathhouse experience to life. It’s a fun place to explore, and you can easily spend half an hour enjoying it!

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