Questions on bathing etiquette in a Japanese home | KCP International (2024)

FAQs

How do Japanese bathe at home? ›

Traditional Japanese bathing is a tranquil ritual perfected through centuries, typically taken in the evening. For the Japanese, bathtubs are for soaking and relaxing only and are always kept clean. Washing and scrubbing belong outside the tub, before you take a bath.

Bathing is done in two phases. The first step is to cleanse the body. Usually the cleanse is performed in a small shower, or by using splashes of bathwater scooped with a hinoki wood bucket before proceeding into the bathtub to soak. Either way, the idea is to always clean off the body before entering the bath.

The basic rule is simple: immerse yourself in a tub of hot water (around 40º, or slightly cooler for heat-sensitive bathers) and soak up to your shoulders for a good 10 minutes or so.

When bathing Japanese-style, you are supposed to first rinse your body outside the bath tub with the shower or a washbowl. Afterwards, you enter the tub, which is used for soaking only. The bath water tends to be relatively hot, typically between 40 and 43 degrees.

In Japan, bathing is akin to cleansing the spirit. The body is scrubbed before entering a tub of very hot water with the intent of taking a long therapeutic soak. Often aromatic herbs or mineral salts are added to the water, the latter being preferred for health, skin, and purification benefits.

Like an onsen or sento, it's expected that you shower completely before entering the ofuro, making it sanitary for multiple family members to enjoy the same bathwater. The order of bathers in a family signals a hierarchy - with the most senior family member enjoying the first bath and the hottest water.

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.

Japanese bath may refer to: Sentō (銭湯), a type of Japanese communal bath house. Furo (お風呂), a type of bathtub commonly used in Japan. Onsen (温泉), a Japanese hot spring traditionally used for public bathing.

The Japanese have perfected the art of onsen, or hot spring baths, for centuries. Traditionally, men and women would bathe together in the same facility, but these days the baths are segregated by gender. Today, konyoku (mixed-gender onsen) are hard to find, with places like Tokyo having bans on such establishments.

The traditional Japanese-style (和式, washiki) toilet is the squat toilet. A squat toilet differs from a sitting toilet in both construction and method of employment. A squat toilet essentially looks like a miniature urinal set horizontally into the floor.

Do you wear clothes in Japanese bath? ›

Bathing etiquette—the basics

Most facilities have separate baths for male and female guests. In these facilities, remove all clothing before entering. A few facilities will have shared baths, and in these places, a swimsuit is required. Take a shower before entering the baths.

Japanese people like hot water bathing and often soak their body up to the shoulders in deep bathtubs for a long time in the evening to night. Experimental and epidemiological studies have shown that JSB shortens SOL and improves sleep sensation in winter.

There are two types of toilets in Japan: Japanese-style and Western-style. Public washrooms are often equipped with both toilet styles, although some older facilities might have only Japanese-style toilets, while many newer facilities have only Western-style toilets.

A warm, relaxing bath can relieve the feelings of tiredness at the end of the day. Rinnai conducted a nationwide survey, aimed at 50 people in each of Japan's 47 prefectures, and found that 53% of people “soak in the bath every day in winter.” Meanwhile, 17% stated they “shower every day” rather than taking a bath.

While showers are a necessary part of everyday life, the Japanese don't just take showers, they love soaking in bathtubs. 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.

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.

Like an onsen or sento, it's expected that you shower completely before entering the ofuro, making it sanitary for multiple family members to enjoy the same bathwater. The order of bathers in a family signals a hierarchy - with the most senior family member enjoying the first bath and the hottest water.