Taking a bath (ofuro)
for the Japanese is almost like a ritual.
They are very hygienic. They take a bath before going to bed, so they
can sleep in a clean body and keep their bed/futon a sanctuary. However, taking a bath is more than
just cleaning yourself.
When I was reading about hydrotherapy in the textbook for
school, I was very disappointed.
In the section about popularity of baths, Japan was mentioned with a few
other East Asian countries, but there was no other information. The
Japanese bathing style is not seen anywhere else in the world, but it is
spreading to other countries.
Japanese bathrooms are different because you don’t “wash” in the bathtub, but only “soak.” It is a “bathing” room, so you don’t
find a toilet or a sink. It has a
deep bathtub, a shower on the wall, and the area where you wash yourself. There are a small stool to sit on and a
bucket (bowl) to scoop the water from the bathtub. Below are examples of Japanese bathrooms at home.
Recent bathrooms are quite high-tech, so hot water is filled
up and re-heated up to your preferred temperature automatically. Installing a heating fan is getting
more popular.
Naturally, you first have to take off your clothes to get
into the bathroom. Here are the
steps of how to take a bath at home
(slightly different at a public bath).
- Rinse off your body using the water from the bathtub with a bucket. A shower is used when taking a shower only, or maybe rinsing your hair; depending on the family.
- Get in the bath and soak to your chest. Relax.
- Get out of the bath, and wash yourself. Use the water from the bathtub to rinse off.
- Get back in the bath. Relax.
- Get out of the bath. If there is a lid for the bathtub, put it on. The water is kept for other family members, so DO NOT DRAIN.
Benefits of Baths
Japanese people take a bath not just for getting clean, but for relaxation. Many of them prefer and are used to a hot
bath between 40°C-43°C (104°F-109°F), but the temperature
between 37°C-39°C
(99°F-102°F)
is most relaxing and therapeutic.
The benefits of hot baths are:
- Relaxing – Activates Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
- Increases circulation and reduces fatigue – The heat makes the blood vessels wider (vasodilation), and the water pressure helps blood return from the legs to the heart and pump more blood especially when you soak only up to your heart.
- Relieves muscle aching
Caution
Sadly, there are quite a few incidents of strokes and heart
attacks among the elderly in Japan while they were taking a bath. To prevent accidents:
- Avoid a long, hot bath above 41°C (106°F)
- Avoid taking a bath right after eating and drinking alcohol, and late at night
- Avoid a sudden temperature change -- Warm the changing room and bathroom, and rinsing your body first also helps your body warm up.
- Get out from the bath slowly
- Hydrate --You don’t realize that you sweat a lot under water.
The Power of Ofuro
Japanese people still work way too hard and long hours. I can’t help thinking that ofuro
is the power that keeps Japanese people going. Even after long hours of work, soaking in the bath relaxes
them and releases the stress they had at work, so they can start again next day.
The Japanese bath is good enough, but onsen (hot springs) is
even better! I would be excited to
talk about it in the future.
If you want to know
more about the Japanese bathing culture, you might want to read this recent paper.