How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates (2024)

  • Oona McGeeNov 1, 2017

How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates (2)

Responses suggest many women don’t have time to bathe every day anymore.

In Japan, people traditionally end every day with a soak in the tub. This emphasis on bathing, as opposed to showering, is one that comes from the old tradition of sento, or bath houses, which were commonly used by people back when households weren’t equipped with bathing facilities.

Today, people still maintain the same ritual of washing and scrubbing before entering the bath, which is filled up with hot water and shared by family members throughout the evening. If you’ve ever had the chance to soak in a Japanese tub at home, you’ll know just how amazing these contraptions can be, with built-in heating elements that keep the bath at a constant temperature, controlpanels in and outside of the bathroom for operating the level and temperature of the water, including the time you want it filled, and, if you’re lucky, a small television screen.

▼ Discover the wonders of the Japanese bath in this video below.

With this much enjoyment to be had in the bathroom, it’s natural to be curious about how long the average person stays in there, so the Japan Health and Research Institute andthe Onsen Medical Science Research Centrerecently asked 500 women between the ages of20 and 49 to reveal their bathing habits. Out of all the women surveyed,96.8 percent said they bathe at night, in keeping with traditional bathing rituals, however, many of them revealed some surprises when it comes to other details about what they do in the bathroom. Let’s take a look at the results below!

How long do you spend in the bath?

1. 10-20 minutes (43.2 percent)
2. 20-30 minutes (28 percent)
3. 5-10 minutes (13 percent)
4. 30-60 minutes (12.4 percent)
5. Less than 5 minutes (2.2 percent)
6. More than 60 minutes (1 percent)

How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates (3)

The majority of respondents said they typically spend 10-20 minutes in the bath, with a slightly longer time of 20-30 minutes being the next most popular option. Further down the list we have two extremes of a hop-in-hop-out situation and a more extensive soak that lasts for longer than an hour. Looking at the results overall, though, it’s apparent that the majority of women aren’t bathing for that long, and the reasons for that are revealed in the responses to the next question.

How do you usually spend your time in the bath?

1. I make do with just a shower (45.7 percent)
2. I soak in the bath for a short time (33.5 percent)
3. I take my time in the bath (20.1 percent)
4. Other (0.6 percent)

How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates (4)

Surprisingly, almost half of the respondents said they don’t even get into the bath, choosing to make do with a quick shower instead. With more and more women now in the workforce, busy schedules appear to be getting in the way of traditional daily bath-time rituals, and for those living on their own, it’s sometimes easier to do away with the fuss of having to clean the bath every day after you use it, which is common practice in Japan. This all brings us to the next question: how often do women bathe, if they bathe at all?

How frequently do you bathe in a week?

1. Every day (36.6 percent)
2. Less than once a week (24.4 percent)
3. Once a week (8.5 percent)
4. Three times a week (8.5 percent)
5.Four times a week (7.3 percent)
6. Five times a week (6.1 percent)
7. Twice a week (4.9 percent)
8. Six times a week (3.7 percent)

With just over 46 percent of respondents falling in the three-times-a-week-or-less category, it’s clear to see that more and more women aren’t bathing every day. Only 36.6 percent of women surveyed are actually sticking to the traditional daily bathing ritual while 24.4 percent bathe less than once a week, which are interesting stats for sociologists and bath manufacturers alike.

According to the results, traditional bath-time culture appears to be changing rapidly in Japan. Still, while women might not be bathing as often at home, that’s not to say they don’t enjoy a good soak, which is probably why getaways to hot spring destinations like these are always in high demand.

Source: Livedoor News via Otakomu
Featured image:Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)

How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates (2024)

FAQs

How long and how often do Japanese women bathe? Survey investigates? ›

The majority of respondents said they typically spend 10-20 minutes in the bath, with a slightly longer time of 20-30 minutes being the next most popular option. Further down the list we have two extremes of a hop-in-hop-out situation and a more extensive soak that lasts for longer than an hour.

How long do Japanese people soak in the bath? ›

Professor Hayasaka Shinya of Tokyo City University, who supervised the survey, explained that “having a bath warms the body and improves blood flow, reducing the sense of feeling cold. A basic, healthy way to take a bath is spending ten minutes soaking at 40°C and the best timing is ninety minutes before going to bed.”

How long is the average shower in Japan? ›

The average person showers for 13.7 minutes in Japan with the frequency of 6.4 times per week. The provided statistic states that in Japan, the average person spends approximately 13.7 minutes showering, with a frequency of 6.4 times per week.

What is the Japanese bathing method? ›

Japanese-style bathing (JSB), which involves soaking in hot water up to the shoulders in deep bathtubs for a long time in the evening to night, is unique.

How often did Japanese bathe? ›

Research suggests that whereas people in many parts of Europe and America now make do with just a shower nearly 90% of the time, in Japan between 70% and 80% of people still bathe in the traditional way at least several times a week. This rises to 90% or more in families with small children.

Why do Japanese take baths at night? ›

Baths help you sleep. In the winter, they can help warm the body to the core. People don't want to go to bed dirty. (Japanese people care a lot about cleanliness.)

Why do Japanese sit while showering? ›

99% of modern bath areas in Japanese homes or gyms or hotels or other places support this. Some people are not really “shower people” and prefer sitting on a small bath stool to scrub the body and then rinsing/spraying off the soap and grime before slipping into the hot relaxing bath.

How often do Americans shower? ›

In the United States, most people bathe daily but, in other countries, many people bathe only 2-3 times per week or less.

How often do Japanese wash their clothes? ›

In Japan, it is common to do laundry every day for couples or families. Single people typically do laundry 1 to 3 times a week. A family with small children will sometimes do it more than 2-3 times a day.

What time of day do Japanese bathe? ›

Bathing at home in Japan is done in the evening, and is seen as an endcap to the day. Sento are public baths that can either have a natural hot spring water source or, more often, a running water source.

How do you use Japanese bath stool? ›

As the custom is to shower before getting into the ofuro, this stool and the bucket are placed next to the tub, where the shower is located. The bather uses the shower and the running water from the faucet to wash body and hair, while seated. The bucket is filled with water to splash and rinse the body.

What do Japanese add to their bath water? ›

The custom of sitting in yuzu baths on the winter solstice originates from the Japanese tradition of adding seasonal plants to bath water for medicinal or therapeutic purposes as well as general enjoyment. Yuzu baths, originating to the Edo period (1603–1867), may have been inspired by the goroawase (語呂合わせ, lit.

Are Japanese baths hygienic? ›

Revelations of poor sanitary practices at some onsen have led to improved regulation by hot-spring communities to maintain their reputation. There have been reports of infectious disease found in hot bodies of water worldwide, such as various Naegleria species.

Is mixed bathing common in Japan? ›

Mixed-bathing was banned in Tokyo around the turn of the 19th century and has remained so ever since. Still, there are a few found outside of the city in the central region of Kanto that make for a perfect day trip to Gunma or Tochigi.

How often do Chinese bathe? ›

Approximately two-thirds of Americans shower daily. In Australia it's over 80%. But in China, about half of people report bathing only twice a week. In the US, the daily shower tends to start around puberty and becomes lifelong.

Do Japanese still bathe together? ›

And that's culturally perfectly normal. ... Japan has a long tradition of communal bathing with onsen and sento. You can still find gender-mixed onsen even today.”

What is a Japanese soaking bath? ›

A Japanese Soaking Tub, known as ofuro in Japan, is a compact bath with steep sides. These tubs, designed with comfort in mind, are significantly deeper than typical American-style tubs and reach about 68 cm in depth.

How long can you soak in onsen? ›

The frequency of bathing shall be at most 1-2 times per day, and when people get used to Onsen, they can enjoy 2-3 times per day. Duration of bathing depends on the temperatures of water, but generally it shall be around 3-10 minutes at one time, and can be extended to 15-20 minutes if you get used to it.

Do Japanese people take a bath every night? ›

Most people in Japan think of the bathtub as washing away not only their sweat and dirt from the day but their fatigue, too. so it is typically custom to take baths every night. Everyone can experience this part of Japanese culture by dipping into onsen (hot springs) and public baths.

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