The most common Japanese bathtub is called a furo or ofuro. Early hot tubs were made of wood, but modern bathrooms are created with acrylic glass, tile, or stainless steel. The hot tub was inspired by the western bathtub, but the two bathtubs have a couple of visual differences.
An ofuro is smaller, deeper, and has square and square sides. By contrast, a western bathtub is longer, shallower, and has sloping sides. In the past, ofuros were heated with a wood stove under the tub. Today, the modern bathtub has a recirculation system that filters and reheats the water.
Some families use the hot water from the finished bathroom to wash clothes in the washing machine. Jacuzzis or Japanese spas are extremely hot and are commonly heated to a temperature of 100-108 degrees Fahrenheit. In the traditional bath, the whole family uses the same bath water.
The oldest male or house guest goes first and the rest of the family follows in order of seniority. However, many young women in modern times refuse to bathe after their parents. In families with larger tubs, it’s not uncommon for families to bathe together in the same tub. Many parents take their babies and toddlers into the bathroom with them. The ofuro are intended more to relax than to cleanse. Because the whole family uses the same bath water, it is considered extremely rude to enter the bathroom without being completely clean beforehand.
Bathroom accessories usually include a small faucet or shower along with the hot tub. The bather sits on a small stool where he scrubs his skin and washes his hair before entering the bath. Many bathrooms are much smaller than western baths set up similar to walk-in showers. While a number of modern houses and hotels have private bathtubs, many people still use public bathhouses or private baths instead of private bathrooms. Males and females are almost always segregated, excluding the extremely rural areas of Japan. Almost all the bathrooms do not allow the use of swimsuits or towels in the bathtub, everyone goes completely naked.
Bathers sometimes use a small hand towel to cover their genitals as they get out of the water. Many hotels offer these hot baths to their clients. Sometimes they are outdoors or on the roof. It is especially crucial to be thoroughly washed and rinsed before entering a public restroom. Bathers who contaminate the communal bath water with foreign dirt are considered extraordinarily rude. Onsen are baths and bathhouses that use water from natural hot springs. They are usually located around the hot springs in question, and many of them are outdoors. Outdoor baths can be made of granite, Japanese cypress, or marble. Although dry sauna and regular sauna are of Finnish origin, saunas can be found in many Japanese sports centers and public baths. Like the baths themselves, these saunas are separated by gender and nudity is required.
Bathhouses in Japan used to be extremely common, especially after World War II. However, there are fewer bathhouses in modern times due to fewer patrons. More and more people can afford houses that already have bathtubs, so they are not as inclined to use the public bathroom.
