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Charlie Kondek
3rd January 2002, 16:21
Hey, all. Just curious - a Japanese bath, just how hot is it? Very hot? Unbearably hot? Perhaps there's more than one type of bath?

PRehse
3rd January 2002, 17:45
Different temperatures

from the @@@@ this is cold to the @@@@ this is hot.

Generally you would consider them hot but not unbearably so.

Ben Bartlett
3rd January 2002, 19:16
The ones I've been in have always been very hot. Not unbearably so, but definitely much hotter than what would normally be found here in the States. So, I guess I'd say, hotter than an American bath, cooler than an onsen (hot spring).

red_fists
3rd January 2002, 22:41
Hi.

I found that most of them tend to be around 40 ~42 Degree Celsius.
A comfy temp for us Europeans. :D

Some public bath are hotter, but than always cold water is run in on one location.

Onsen of course vary from cold to scaling hot.

So yep, they are warm but not unbearable.

But than as my Wife always remarks japanese bath in "oyu" not "misu".

Neil Yamamoto
3rd January 2002, 22:45
The actual temperture varies, and depends on how much water, soda, etc, the kids who were in the tub before you were drinking.
;)

MarkF
4th January 2002, 07:11
Just as I was going to point out a series of articles which contained bathing protocol (or lack there of) in early 20th century judo dojo in Kyoto, I read this.

I feel..feel...warm all over:eek:

Mark

PS: They were diary style writings of one of the early English women living in Japan and learning judo by Sarah Myer ( http://ejmas.com ). She does cover the bathing habits but not the temperature.

Joseph Svinth
4th January 2002, 07:32
The Sarah Mayer letters to which Mark referred are at http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_mayer1_0200.htm
http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_mayer1_0300.htm
http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_mayer1_0400.htm
http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_mayer1_0500.htm

For those unfamiliar with the furo, or Japanese bath, see http://www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapan9.htm , http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ge/ge04ofuro.htm , and http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/he/hepdf/2_s03_03e.pdf

Charlie Kondek
4th January 2002, 16:11
Excellent! Thanks, guys. Great reading.

ghp
17th January 2002, 01:48
Charlie,

Public onsen [natural hot springs]
http://www.gettinghere.com/grafix/pic-story/p-497.jpg

Just in case we all THOUGHT you knew the procedure, but didn't ....

Family bath tub [o-furo]
http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ge/geimg/ofurox.jpg
1. Soap, lather, and rinse outside the o-furo (shave also, if you need to).

2. Gingerly step into the tub; soak; drink a beer or sake.

3. Fold and place tenugui (towel) on your head so they can't tell you're a gaijin :) .

4. Get out; use same tenugui for modesty when outside the water; go back in (repeat as necessary or until you faint).

5. When finished, dry off, use tenugui for modesty, and go back to the locker room to change.

The "modesty tenugui" is not always required ... depends on how bold you want to be. Although, you might want it after the cold pool :D.

Some establishments have a variety of pools of different temperatures. It's really interesting to get out of the "warm" (hot to us) water and then slip into the cold water! Then, return again to the "warm" pool.

Some have dry sauna in the same enclosure (this was a rotenburo in Ise).

Jacuzzis are a poor cousin compared to the Japanese onsen, sento, and ofuro.

Cheers,
Guy

Charlie Kondek
17th January 2002, 14:52
Yeah, I'm thinking if it's the least bit cold a tenegui might hide "the turtle," as I sometimes like to call it.

:laugh:

Mark Brecht
17th January 2002, 16:07
Guy,

that was a good information, HOWEVER...

:smokin: you left out the best part...

MarkF
18th January 2002, 15:12
Mark,
If you sleep on a futon or other type of bad flat on the floor where nothing can be hidden, just where do you keep your magazines collection.

Oh, yes, I forgot. You're single so you put them out as coffee table books.:up:

Mark F.

Ron Tisdale
31st January 2002, 19:36
Mr. Svinth,
Regarding the Sarah Mayer letters,
That was a truly excellent series of letters. Thank you for presenting that. I have to admire someone who for her time was certainly more adventurous than many today. All I can say is wow!, what it would have been like to have known her.

Ron Tisdale

Steven Malanosk
31st January 2002, 20:22
Oh memories!

This brings to mind, the SNAFU which we caused (experienced) in a Tokyo bath house in 81.

I was there with my unit "3rd Reconnaissance Bn. from Okinawa" after some exercises that week on the mainland, and as we entered, "took over" the baths, everyone backed off got out and left making comments in Japanese as to our enterence.

At first I beleived it to be, because we where all heavily tattooed, " something my father had warned me about."

Some of the guys, thought it was penis envy!

We later found that it was because we had just gotten off the bus, from our tent city base camp on the outskirts of Tokyo, still kind of dirty, expecting to clean up and change into civies. Upon our hastey enterence, we failed to soap up and rinse off first. We figured that you did that, after sitting in the hot water with all of those people and germs..................:look:

Oh well, strike 1 for the gaijin gichi guys!

We did however get a detailed class, on protocol, the next time we came by. That is after a long explaination and apology from us, to the Honcho, who had immediatly picked up the phone, to call the JP's upon our 2nd arrival the following day.