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.
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.
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.
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.
For many in Japan, bathing is more than a bath. It is akin to a meditative practice - a time to renew, revive, relax, and cleanse the soul. Beyond cleansing the body, the bath is viewed as a time and place to wash away the cares and worries of the day.
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.
Bathing etiquette—the basics
Take a shower before entering the baths. If you are at a hot spring, shampoo, body wash and towels will be provided, but if you are at a public bath, you need to rent or bring your own. Each shower has a stool and bucket. Take a seat, and pour hot water over yourself using the bucket.
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.
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. You need to keep the bathroom clean for the person who take a bath after you.
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.
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.
To get to the point straight, the fact is many Japanese do NOT wash their hands after using the bathroom as well as many foreigners.
The Japanese bath is for bathing purposes only, not for cleaning. Before entering the bath, wash with soap outside the bath and rinse all the soap off. Use the bath itself only for soaking and relaxing, much as you would take a hot tub. Families usually take baths in the evening before or after dinner.
Japan has a long tradition of communal bathing with onsen and sento. You can still find gender-mixed onsen even today. The perspective is daunting for foreigners who do not have a background of bathing culture, but as soon as they take the leap, many realize how liberating the experience can be.
Public baths are called sento in Japan and have a history dating back hundreds of years. Though public bathing originated in the sixth century, bathhouses became popular during the Edo period (1603–1868).
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.
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.
Because these tubs are deeper, they are not as long as traditional bathtubs. This makes Japanese soaking tubs ideal for smaller spaces. They also will use less water than a conventionally shaped tub of the same dimensions.
In Japan, you're not likely to see too much public smooching going on. As well as being reserved and modest by nature, most Japanese people also believe that drawing attention to oneself in public is bad manners.
In general, I would say that by the age of 8 or 9 years-10 at the latest-most children have developed enough of a sense of personal boundaries and body space that they no longer want to shower with a parent or bathe with a sibling of the opposite sex. But Dr. Rosenblum's query raises broader issues.
Meanwhile, traditionally in Japan, there is the custom of scrubbing another person's back as a favor. This can be done among couples and it is also done by your children or the likes of old professional guys.
And then, only when they have rinsed their whole body, can they enter the bathtub. It is essential to wash thoroughly before entering the bath, as this is where all members of the family bathe and must be kept clean. Bathtubs in Japanese homes have a lid to keep the water warm until the next member bathes.
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.
Here is a look a few bathing habits by country, including baths versus showers and considerations like frequency. From the most showered country in the world (Brazil) to the most commonly bathed country (the UK), we all have our preferences.