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.
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.
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.
Traditionally, bathing is viewed to be a ritual of large cultural importance, although it has evolved into being less ritualistic and more of a common practice. 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.
Not so in Japan. 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.
In view of the fact that many Japanese bathe and wash their hair daily, it's essential that they take well care of it. Modern-day shampoos mostly have ingredients that strip the hair of its natural oils, for example, sulfates.
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.
The cleanest country in the world
According to research conducted by Kantar Worldpanel, Brazil's the keenest country when it comes to hopping in the shower. On average, they shower 14 times a week - to put that into context, the average for the rest of the world sits at five.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
Most Brits (62%) bathe or shower at least once a day, and in the shower Brits spend on average between 7-8 minutes – but there's more than just washing going on while we're in there. We reveal all in our latest UK shower habits survey.
Traditionally, Japanese people bathe at night. However, according to 2011 internal study of Urban Research Institute (Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. Japan), it was reported that many people in Japan are switching to taking a shower in the morning (more than 4 times/week: 15.8 %, 1–3 times/week: 23.2 % in summer, n = 3,267).
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. The most important part here is an obvious one: keeping everything clean and tidy.
How long do Japanese people bathe for? Expect to be there for about one hour in total and spend less than 500 yen (rates vary by city; it is 470 yen to use a sento in Tokyo). In the past, when bathtubs were not typical features of the average home, it was normal for people to go to a sento to take baths.
Toilet paper is used in Japan, even by those who own toilets with bidets and washlet functions (see below). In Japan, toilet paper is thrown directly into the toilet after use. However, please be sure to put just the toilet paper provided in the toilet.
In general, the Japanese enjoy taking baths together, and there are different opportunities to do so. It can happen while staying at a hotel together, for example, where the bathroom has a big bathtub.
Rooted in Religious Beliefs
But the Japanese sense of hygiene has a deeper meaning as it is rooted in their religious beliefs, Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto originated in Japanese people and tradition, has purification rituals before subjecting themselves to prayer.
"If your skin tends not to be dry, you could extend it to every other day or so." If you take it from a certified germ expert, though, you can skip showering for as long as you wish.
Poor hygiene or infrequent showers can cause a buildup of dead skin cells, dirt, and sweat on your skin. This can trigger acne, and possibly exacerbate conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema. Showering too little can also trigger an imbalance of good and bad bacteria on your skin.
Showering for too longBetween the steam, streaming water, and warmth, it's tempting to spend 15, 20, even 30 minutes in the shower, but many experts say anything more than 10 minutes is too much. “You shouldn't shower for more than 5 to 10 minutes,” says Dr. Farris.
The Himba people live in one of the most extreme environments on earth with the harsh desert climate and the unavailability of potable water. However, their lack of bathing has not resulted into lack of personal hygiene.
When it comes to showers, Brazil is the leader of the pack, and the cleanest. While only 7% of Brazilians take a bath, 99% report taking weekly showers. How many showers? On average, Brazilians take two showers a day or 14 showers a week.
1 in 5 Russian citizens have no water supplies in their houses and so shower only once a week. Daily Shower Stats – 30% of women and 221% of men shower once a day. Weekly Bathing Breakdown – On average Chinese citizens have 5 showers and 3 baths a week.
Japan is known to be a country with a strong awareness for hygiene. Customs to wash hands and gargle on a daily basis are particularly widespread, and are carried out actively by a wide range of people in the country—from children to grown-ups.
Children volunteer for the monthly community clean, picking up rubbish from the streets near their school. Neighbourhoods, too, hold regular street-cleaning events. Not that there's much to clean, because people take their litter home. Even banknotes emerge from ATM's as crisp and clean as a freshly starched shirt.
Well, according to our national statistics (in Japanese) at least 52% washes their hands and 64% of those uses some kind of soap.