Japanese baths and bathrooms

 Published on: Apr 13, 2008 

Communal baths are a custom in Japan, but I don't think Westerners really "get" what that means. I certainly didn't. But then, Japan itself has a different mindset than we have in the U.S., a mindset oriented more towards the community than the individual. I found this description on a website explaining Japanese customs:

"Taking a bath has always been an integral part of Japanese life. In the past, Japanese people enjoyed the daily ritual with their friends and neighbors in a public bath (the sento). It was not until the middle of this century that the provision of a water supply made it possible for most people to have a private ofuro (Japanese bathtub), although the onsen (hot springs) and the sento remain popular for many Japanese people."

The Japanese bath means much more that just getting oneself clean. Having shed one’s clothes and daily concerns, then lathered, scrubbed and rinsed oneself thoroughly, one steps into the ofuro and sinks slowly into the deep, pure and clean hot water. Soaking, submerged to the chin, it is a time for relaxation and contemplation, a sensual pleasure and a feeling of well-being and harmony with the natural surroundings, perhaps the garden or landscape beyond."

We had access to Japanese baths at every place we stayed, and Jesse has an ofuro in his apartment in Tokyo. Often, the ofuro are made of stainless steel and look much like this one, from our suite at the Hakone ryokan.

Hakone bath 

You wash yourself before entering, so you are already clean when you get in. In this way, the water can be reused or shared with others. There is a thermostat connected to the bath to keep the water at a certain temperature while the bath is in use.

The communal baths often have separate areas for men and women, and I tried both the indoor and outdoor women's baths in Hakone. The indoor one was more popular because of the cold weather, but I preferred the outdoor bath, and had it all to myself most of the time that I used it. All the baths in Hakone had water from the hot springs, so that was an added feature staying at this ryokan.

Heading to the thermal bath.

This is the women's bath, an attractive pool next to a stream and a few of the hills. I came here once at night, and again the next morning, and it was only as I was leaving in the morning that other women guests arrived to use it.

Women's bath

The view from the bath.

In Kyoto, we also had access to baths, but they were smaller, and we had to make an appointment to use them, as there was only one bath in use at the smaller family-run ryokan we stayed at.

Another facet of the bathroom is the different kinds of toilets that are used in Japan. This was one aspect of Japanese life that was often uncomfortable for me. At one end of the spectrum, there is the squat toilet, still prevalent in public restrooms. As the name suggests, one must squat over a porcelain hole in the ground. Try as I might, I just didn't get the hang of doing this right. They say it's more hygienic than the western version, but not by me. At the other end of the spectrum, hotels and restaurants often have western-style toilets with heated seats. This was more to my liking and quite a contrast to the squatting option.  I wouldn't mind having one of these at home!