How often do you take a bath? 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.
To the Japanese, bathing is a process. You wash yourself before you get in the bath to cleanse your body of the day's dirt and grime. That's one of the main reasons why most Japanese people bathe at night, instead of in the morning.
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.
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.
Of course, whether it's in hot springs, sento, or their home bathtub, Japanese bathe at least once a day. As for how often Japanese go to onsen, that depends on the person. Beppu citizens sometimes go as many as three times a day. But no matter how many times we go, our relationship with onsen is unique and deep.
After bathing:
It is recommended that you do not shower after bathing in an onsen, as rinsing your body will weaken the minerals' healing effects.
For those opting for tampons, make sure that the string is not clearly visible and change it as soon as you leave the onsen. Wash yourself well and refrain from using another tampon right away — give yourself enough time to cool down first.
How often do you take a bath? 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.
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.
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.
In view of the fact that many Japanese bathe and wash their hair daily, it's essential that they take well care of it.
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.
Yes, in Japan parents and children bath together fully naked. And that's culturally perfectly normal. From a Japanese perspective, together tub-time is good for family bonding. As children grow older, they'll start enjoying bath time separately.
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.
A low stool is often placed in the shower space and used when they wash body and hair. Why do Japanese people sit down when washing their bodies and hair? Sitting and washing is less likely to splash the soap form and water compare with standing and washing.
In Japan, it is common to do laundry every day for couples or families. Single people typically do laundry 1 to 3 times a week. A family with small children will sometimes do it more than 2-3 times a day.
But the truth is that these baths, open to anyone, have a history going back at least 1,000 years―they may not be common, but konyoku are a long-lasting tradition! Some modern-day konyoku even allow bathers to wear swimsuits or towels, but many still keep with tradition and require all entrants to bathe in the nude.
In a Japanese bath, an extra-deep tub is filled to the top with very hot water, in which you sit submerged up to the neck. Most people spend about half an hour in the bath every night.
Cleaning is a part of their daily routine which usually starts soon after the lunch break or at the end of the day. At many schools, each classroom has a container for cleaning tools such as brooms, buckets, cleaning rags, dustpans, and brushes.
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.
Towels. Two types of towels are popularly used at Japanese baths: small towels are used inside the bath for washing your body and for covering yourself for a little privacy when moving about the bathing areas, while large towels are left in the changing room and used to dry yourself after the bath.
“Talking about menstruation used to be a taboo subject. But social recognition is changing,” said an official from a sanitary product maker that offers seminars on the issue. The topic is being broached more regularly due to organizations wanting to help women navigate their lives around their cycles.
Most onsen will not tell you explicitly that you cannot use the bath on your period. Some people will enter the bath with a tampon, but the topic is often debated. If you're worried, maybe sit this one out.
Wash Before Entering the Onsen, Don't Wash in the Onsen
It's customary, polite and hygienic to wash your hair and body before entering the onsen water. This keeps it clean for everyone. Nobody wants to sit in someone else's dirty bathwater.