Taking a Bath · Using the Toilet
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The narrow alleys of downtown Japan.
The Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura |
Taking a Bath
In Japan, the main purpose of taking a bath is to relax at the end of the day. The average Japanese bathroom consists of two rooms: one room with a sink and another room with a shower and deep bathtub.
You are first supposed to bathe in the shower. This is where you use your soap and shampoo to get clean. After bathing, you can get into the tub. No soap should ever get into the bath water. The tub has been pre-filled with water. Remember, do not drain the tub water since everyone in the house will use the same bath water. The bath water usually feels very hot to foreigners. The Japanese believe that the hotter the water temperature, the more relaxed you will feel afterwards. Don't worry. You will get used to the higher water temperatures after a few days! There are two kinds of toilet in Japan.
At first most foreigners have a hard time using the Japanese style toilet pictured to the right. To use it, you have to squat down and try to keep your balance. This can be hard to do! The Japanese style toilet is considered more sanitary because there is no direct physical contact with the toilet. Japanese style toilets can be found in most bathrooms. Keep in mind that toilet paper isn't always provided. Therefore, it's always a good idea to carry a small pack of tissues with you. Luckily for us foreigners, Western style toilets are becoming increasingly more common in public restrooms especially in tourist areas. However if you plan on exploring different regions of Japan, you might visit an area that only has Japanese style toilets. So, it's a good idea to become comfortable using them. |
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