I have shared some aspects of the Japanese citrus fruit, called Yuzu in the previous pages.
But our love for Yuzu doesn’t stop there. What might interest you more is, we use fresh Yuzu as a bath additive as well!
The day when we add Yuzu to a bath is fixed on the 22nd of December(although it can change a day before/after depending on the year) According to the Japanese 24 seasonal calendar, Nijyusisekki, this day is called “Toji” which means “reached to the peak of winter”. In English, it’s winter solstice.
The “Toji” day has the shortest daylight hours of the year, and right after the day, the daylight hours start growing longer bit by bit towards the spring. In other words, the weakest solar energy becomes stronger again, turning from yin (the negative) to yang(the positive).
This meaning is also expressed by the 4-letter word, “一陽来復（いちようらいふく）”, the other word for “Toji” or winter solstice. This conveys that our luck will improve right after this day, or that after a series of bad things, good things will happen.
“We want to use this day as an opportunity to clean off all the bad and unlucky things that have happened to us and to purify ourselves.” — Our Japanese ancestors might have thought this way. We have traditionally placed great importance on this seasonal turning point (fushime in Japanese) in our 24 seasonal calender, and also on misogi, the act of washing and purifying the body of sins and impurities.
The things that have a strong scent, like Yuzu, are believed to have the power to eliminate negative energy. So people started to put Yuzu in their bath and soak in it on “Toji” day or winter solstice. By taking a Yuzu bath, we can wash away all the negative things that have happened, and then start a fresh and new day. We find taking a Yuzu bath so refreshing.
This tradition of taking a Yuzu bath on “Toji” day seems to have begun in the Edo era(1603 – 1868), when bathing was not as common as it is today.
Today, people say that by taking a Yuzu bath on “Toji” day, we’ll never catch a cold in winter.
In the picture, I put the whole Yuzu in my bath, but if you cut Yuzu into pieces and put them in a cloth bag, you can enjoy the aroma of Yuzu even more. Yuzu has a relaxing effect and contains a lot of vitamin C.
However, personally, being the little foodie I am, I still prefer eating Yuzu to adding it to my bath!
If fresh Yuzu is not available, you can buy Yuzu essential oil and add it to a bath. You can get it in department stores or LOFT etc. in Japan. Yuzu essential oil becomes a good souvenir.
My name is Mari. I’m a native Japanese living in Japan.
I’m writing about 365 stories of Japanese daily life and culture based on my own experiences and perspectives.
#011 story is about Yuzu as a natural bath additive.