- More Japanese copywriting gold
Moving right along from my previous post on the Japanese style toilet, I thought I’d make mention of the Japanese style bath.
When you arrive in a new country after a long journey, the first thing you need to know, but the last thing you think to ask, is how to use the shower. Last July I came to Tokyo alone to find us a home, a sofa, a dining table, that sort of thing, and I stayed in a nice self-contained studio apartment. I got in late and only then noticed the lack of soap, towels and hot water. Actually that’s not true, there was hot water, but no English explanation of the hot water service. So I washed with shampoo in cold water, dried myself with a T-shirt and wondered why I was such a loser.
I felt better the next day when my Japanese friend came over and explained the plumbing. The control panel was in the kitchen (aha!) and, rather than a simple on/off switch, there were several options including one button where the bath fills up and turns itself off automatically. The theory is, you hit the button then sit down and have a cup of tea while waiting for the bath to fill. The thought of doing this filled me with anxiety – what if the water doesn’t stop? I didn’t turn on the taps to get it going, so how would I turn them off? I skipped the bath altogether and settled for a hot shower.
Since then, however, I’ve come around to the Japanese style bath – the communal variety. I’ve used them in hotels and at the gym and last night we even ventured to the local public sento (bath house). Located right near the train station, we must have walked past it a hundred times without knowing what it was. With family staying (hi Dan and Sarah), we had wanted to go to an onsen in the mountains somewhere but it’s Golden Week and way too busy. So I made enquiries into the next best option, the local sento. As it turned out, Dan and Sarah weren’t that keen, perhaps something to do with too much quality time with our kids. Or maybe communal bathing is not their thing. In any case, we’d promised the kids so we went along anyway.
We were under the impression that you’d normally just lob into a bath house when it suited, without planning ahead and bringing soap and towels, but we were wrong (a recurring theme). Thankfully, for a few hundred yen we bought a little amenity pack and off we went. In essence, you scrub yourself to within an inch of your life while squatting on a stool in front of a little mirror, rinse off, then soak in a hot tub. Even if you’re not into public nudity, it’s actually really fun. The extra benefit for me is that I, of course, get to enjoy the experience with Ruby, while Michael and the boys create havoc on the other side of the wall. By the time we meet up again at the entrance though, everyone is clean and relaxed. What’s not to like?
Here are some random images of the past week or so, including Curtis’ birthday, me and Moreen in kimono and various other tourist activities:
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