Situated in a volcanic island chain, Japan has many hot springs and Japanese people love to visit there to relax. Likewise, we also love to take a bath at home and tremendous efforts to make our home bath system and bathtime experience wonderful have been made continuously both by bath system companies and by individuals.
Based on my personal research, most people seem to spend 15 to 30 minutes every day taking a bath. Some even spend one or two hours!
What on earth are we doing in the bath?! You might well wonder! It must seem weird, especially for those who live in hot countries and who only take a shower.
Let me introduce you to how Japanese people are crazy about making our bathtime experience so wonderful at home, showing my bath as an example.
First, fill the bath with hot water. My grandparents used firewood to boil the bathwater, but Japanese baths have drastically evolved since the post-war period. In the 1980s, a fully automatic system for filling the bathtub with hot water was developed and it’s become widespread.
All I have to do is put the plug in, and press the start button. The hot water automatically starts pouring into the bath.
The temperature and quantity of the hot water can be fine-tuned to my own preference.
As for the water temperature, it can be chosen from 33℃ to 48℃: for example, in summer when it’s hot outside, I set it to 38℃, while in winter when it is cold, to 42℃.
Regarding the water level, we can adjust it from level 1 to 12 according to the size of our body, and to whether doing half-body bathing(Hanshin-yoku in Japanese) or not.
Half-body bathing is a bathing method of immersing only from the waist down in low water of around 38℃ for 20~30 minutes. It is said to have many effects like warming the body slowly from deep inside, improving blood flow, causing plenty of perspiration, helping waste flow easily, reducing swelling, and increasing the relaxing effect.
What’s interesting more is, the bath machine talks!
When the start button is pushed, it says, “The bath is starting to fill.” When the bath is almost full, it says, “The bath will be ready soon.” Then, when the bath is filled, it notices me, saying, “The bath is ready!” It kindly prompts me about each stage, so I can leave the bath to it while I am sitting in the living room.
Before I get into the bathtub, there is an important etiquette. Firstly, in the washing area, by either using a shower or scooping some hot water from the bathtub with a bucket (oke in Japanese), I wash away dirt and sweat from my body. This is like an act of purifying in Shinto shrine.
We need to try to keep the water in the bathtub as clean as possible, because the water is shared with other family members who will be taking the bath that day. When another member takes a bath later, by just pushing the reheat button, the water in the bathtub becomes hot again in a couple of minutes.
I don’t like half-body bathing, so I just soak myself in the bathtub for 5-10 minutes in shoulder-deep water.
Some people add bath additives. There are a wide variety of bath additives that can make water similar to famous hot springs in various parts of Japan. Some can even release bubbles of carbonic acid into the water. You can experience the same feeling as if you were in a hot spring resort even at home. Some people even add Japanese sake (an alcoholic drink) . They say sake warms their bodies more. I sometimes use some natural salts or aroma essential oils, but recently I have tried not to use them for environmentally friendly purposes to keep drained water clean.
While soaking myself in the bathtub, I sometimes do massage on my legs and sometimes watch TV. My TV is waterproof and portable. And sometimes I even bring a book to read.
In my bath system, surprisingly, healing music（water ripples or bird singing) is equipped. Also, hot water can be misted from the ceiling like in a sauna. If it’s too hot, cool air can be blown.
Although it’s going on a tangent, the drying system is also equipped so we can dry our laundry inside the bathroom when the bath is not used.
Then, when I feel hot enough, I get out of the bathtub to move to the washing area. I clean my face, body and hair. I used to use body soap and hair soap, but nowadays, I have been trying to wash myself only with hot water, and sometimes I use soap. Washing body and hair without soap is not only good for the skin without clearing off necessary oils on its surface but also good for the environment.
Finally, go back to the bathtub again and soak myself in it for 5 to 10 minutes. This also warms my body and helps the warmth last for a long time after the bath.
This is how I spend my bath time normally. I can see how much water and gas I used on the control panel. Even I am so surprised to find a Japanese home bath system very elaborate responding to everyone’s needs for a bath. I feel really respectful to the people who developed it. It’s really amazing!
