Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

Bathing culture is huge in Japan. I have stayed in guest houses where the Japanese tenants take baths every night.

It was the Japanese that introduced hot spring bathing to the Taiwanese. Now hot springs are pretty popular there too.

Now, I like a relaxing bath every now and then, but I am not so keen to jump into the bath every night.

As far as I know, Koreans and Chinese people are not so interested in baths.

Does anybody know where the fascination with baths in Japan comes from?

[nightsintodreams]

Are you fresh off the boat or something? Let me guess your nationality...American! Did I get it?

[Black_Beer_Man]

[Maitoshi]

Because the deodorant doesn't work very well?

[rtm]

[rxk22]

They had an ancient bathing culture that wasn't disrupted by a social collapse ala Europe.

Plus with tons of hot springs around, it is just easy/almost free to do so. So the custom just really engrained it's self.

[2buckets]

I worked in a nightclub where we didn't finish until 3 or 4 in the morning. The job involved a lot of drinking with the customers, though I often surreptitiously dumped my drinks into the potted palm.

The highlight of the day (night) was to go to the public bath, and sit in hot water, steam, sauna, electric bath, and seaweed bath. Go home, get under the down comforter have a wonderful sleep due to relaxing nature of the bath.

What's not to like about the bath ritual.

[timothypfox]

2buckets, too much information.

rxk22, yes the bathing culture was disrupted. i understand men and women used to bath together ... more often than now.

[rxk22]

[2buckets]

timothypfox, rxk22 :

If it's "too much" information. I'm sure the moderator would have edited it, however I will if it offends you.

Sorry if this isn't typical of ESL experience. The job was set up to make English conversation with the businessmen who frequent these clubs.

Actually, I sometimes did private tutoring with businessman in baths (sans hostesses), a very relaxing atmosphere.

[rxk22]

[JerryDavid]

Why are saunas so popular in Finland? I mean it feels good, but not good enough to build one into your own home.

[RM1983]

Koreans have the JimJilBangs which are hugely popular and ubiquitous. I'd be willing to bet a great many other countries have some sort of bathing culture as well. Middle-Eastern countries, Turkey and the like have them as well as the North African countries I believe.

In ex-Soviet countries too, you could find at least public swimming pools that once were free and in every community. I went to one regularly in Prague which was interesting on a kind of squint and you could be behind the iron curtain tip. Also, in gyms and so on with saunas men and women mix totally naked.

Im from the UK and my city's council run swimming pool is known as the "City Baths", indicating that perhaps it was once a communal bath. If you saw it at any point you might realise why it didnt last as a pillar of the community. Dirty and smelled of piss would be some of the kinder things I could say about it.

Also, perhaps it has something to do with homosexual activity? Whereas in more western countries such practises are more commonly accepted, in others people need a cover and public baths/saunas seem to be the ideal smokescreen.
Indeed, in the UK if you told someone you regularly went to a public sauna then you would effectively be outing yourself.
Whether this has anything to do with Japan I kinda doubt but I wrote it for cultural comparison.

As for the bathing at home, I heard that it is a money-saving ploy, as Japanese are quite well known for the whole family bathing one after the other or even at the same time, if i havent been lied to again. A korean friend of mine said it's just cos theyre a bit stingey

[Maitoshi]

[RM1983]

Whats going on with that then? Is it a money saving thing? A bonding experience? Just something that happens for no reason?