Many Japanese people take a bath more or less every day. In some parts of the world, people may refer to showering as “taking a bath,” but not in Japan. In Japan, simply showering does not count.
In Japan, most people take a bath every single day. Some people prefer a shower as it allows them to save water and time. However, taking a short shower is much more common than taking a bath in other countries.
While showers are a necessary part of everyday life, the Japanese don't just take showers, they love soaking in bathtubs. Most people in Japan think of the bathtub as washing away not only their sweat and dirt from the day but their fatigue, too. so it is typically custom to take baths every night.
Most people in Japan tend to bathe at night. A morning bath is a rare thing and is usually done when vacationing at a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) or an onsen hot springs resort.
In Japan, people traditionally end every day with a soak in the tub. This emphasis on bathing, as opposed to showering, is one that comes from the old tradition of sento, or bath houses, which were commonly used by people back when households weren't equipped with bathing facilities.
The Japanese style of bathing, handwashing, gargling, wearing masks, using Oshibori, and cleaning have explained the deep meaning of hygiene. Because hygiene is not only cleaning our body but protecting our health, which means preserving our life.
Rule #1: Wash before entering the onsen
Most Japanese onsen will have a shower area — in or just outside the bathing area — where you are required to wash your body. Entering an onsen with soap, dirt, or sweat on your body is unacceptable and grounds for dismissal from the spring.
Research suggests that whereas people in many parts of Europe and America now make do with just a shower nearly 90% of the time, in Japan between 70% and 80% of people still bathe in the traditional way at least several times a week. This rises to 90% or more in families with small children.
Bathing began with Buddhism and Shintoism. People acknowledged the healing and cleansing properties of baths and promoted bathing as an important part of their beliefs. Public bathing in Japan started with the Heian Empress Kōmyō.
When bathing Japanese-style, you are supposed to first rinse your body outside the bath tub with the shower or a washbowl. Afterwards, you enter the tub, which is used for soaking only. The bath water tends to be relatively hot, typically between 40 and 43 degrees.
When counting people who shower every day, Mexicans and Australians led significantly, followed by Americans and the French. Brits, Russians, Swedes and Germans averaged less, with Chinese coming in the least frequent.
Ninety-nine percent of Brazilians shower each week, compared to only 90 percent of Americans. Great Britain has the lowest rate of showering per week, at 83 percent. According to the infographic, the leading country where more than 95% of the population showers daily is Italy.
According to Kantar Worldpanel, Brazil takes the cake when it comes to overall showering. The average Brazilian averages 14 showers per week, or around two showers a day. This is nearly double the rate of every other country in the survey. For the rest of the world, the average number of showers per week is five.
TOKYO -- Apartments without a bathtub or shower, reminiscent of those common in Japan from the 1950s to the '70s, are becoming popular again with young renters as public baths, gyms and other facilities where people can shower and bathe become more common.
Clean baths, clean chairs
It might be surprising to some to see small white stools placed in the shower area. It is common for people to sit down while showering before entering the public bath or hot spring, so the chairs are free to use.
Research by the Kantar World Panel, goes on to say that 85% of people shower per week in China and average 6 showers per week. People in China also favor shower gels over traditional bar soaps for their showering needs.
Yes, in Japan parents and children bath together fully naked. And that's culturally perfectly normal.
Wear a towel on your head
On the topic of towels, it's common to see bathers with wet towels on their heads. This is to prevent dizziness caused by hot blood rushing into one's head when bathing in the warm waters.
By sleeping with the mat on the floor – rather than on a bed frame, as in Western culture – the Japanese believe it helps to relax the muscles, while enabling the hips, shoulders and spine to maintain a natural alignment during rest.
One of the main reasons why Japan is so clean, and why it has been this way for such a long time, are the two main religions of Buddhism and Shintoism.
Instead of gel and foam-based cleansers, Japanese women use cleansing oils to wash their faces. The Japanese skin care routine includes cleansing only once a day to prevent the skin from drying out.
As we'll come to understand in a minute, the majority of Japanese bathe in the evening rather than the morning. I spend about 20 minutes soaking in the bath and then get out. Once I've had enough, I get out of the 41-degree water and use a net to make sure there is no hair left.
Families also use a cover to keep the water warm, as different family members take their turn in the bath. So in terms of water and energy usage, the Japanese way makes a lot of sense. In the West, everyone who takes a bath has to fill an entire tub just for themselves.
However, there are a lot of people and various cultures in the world that consider bathing as an important daily ritual. For instance, for the Japanese culture, soaking in a bath is not only about cleansing the body. It's also about relaxation, detoxification, stress relief, and mind and body purification.
Japanese have developed the custom of eating meals sitting on tatami mats, not on chairs. They also roll out the futon on which they sleep on the tatami floor. Therefore, they take their shoes off when entering the house to avoid getting the floor dirty.