Japan’s bathing culture is considered quintessentially Japanese. No guide book of Japan is complete without instructions on how to take a bath. A short history.
I notice most Americans take a shower in the morning. Japanese people take bath in the evening almost exclusively. They want to wash off sweat (from the humid weather) and dirt (from work) before dinner or before going to bed. Taking a morning bath is considered luxury and wasteful.
I was born and grew up in the Netherlands during a period when taking a shower daily was considered wasteful. We didn’t have a bath until I was 12 years old. We were allowed to bathe or shower only once a week.
When I moved to the States in 1980 I learned to shower every morning. Then when I moved to Japan two years later I had to change again and started taking baths every evening.
I notice most Americans take a shower in the morning. Japanese people take bath in the evening almost exclusively. They want to wash off sweat (from the humid weather) and dirt (from work) before dinner or before going to bed. Taking a morning bath is considered luxury and wasteful.
I was born and grew up in the Netherlands during a period when taking a shower daily was considered wasteful. We didn’t have a bath until I was 12 years old. We were allowed to bathe or shower only once a week.
When I moved to the States in 1980 I learned to shower every morning. Then when I moved to Japan two years later I had to change again and started taking baths every evening.