In the bathroom
How to take a bath in a Japanese home or ryokan
Wash outside the tub, then soak in water the whole household shares. That's why you never drain it or soap it up.
- 1The bathroom is two zones: a washing area with a showerhead and a stool, and the tub itself. Wash in the first, soak in the second.
- 2Rinse and wash your whole body at the showerhead, outside the tub. Get fully clean here.
- 3Lift the lid off the tub and get in to soak. The water is already hot and run for everyone.
- 4When you're done, put the lid back on to keep the heat in. Leave the water — don't pull the plug.
Heads up. Never drain the tub or wash with soap inside it. The same water is reused by the whole household, one after another — that's why you arrive already clean.