Collective Bathing

"Japanesebathhousetypology challengestheideathatthe comfortofbathingcanonly beachievedinalockedprivate bathroomwhichisthenormin theWest.Peoplecanbecome accustomedtobathingquietly inthesamewaterasstrangers demonstratingthepowerofdaily routine,culturalconditioning andfamiliaritythatdefinesa comfortableenvironment."

more households to be able to afford their own baths in the comfort of their own home. Despite a recent decline in bathhouse users , it is clear that the collective bathing experience has always been a communal, social activity in Japan, where people strip away their clothes, dirt and social status as they enter the baths, allowing them to return to their natural naked self.

The mindset towards bathing can also be revealed in the architecture of contemporary bathrooms in Japan and the UK. A bathroom in English homes typically accommodates the sink, toilet, shower and bathtub in one room, while a bathroom in Japanese homes consists of two separate rooms; “toilet room” with toilet and a sink and a wet-room with a bath tub and the shower. Unlike a tight cubicle, the shower area is more like a room, providing large enough space for a family to bathe and wash together - bathing is a private time in the West while it can be a social activity in Japanese homes.

While UK culture has a split preference between morning and evening shower times, Japanese bathing usually takes place in the evening. The evening begins as the bathroom lights turn on, bathtubs are cleaned, and the wet-room becomes steamy while the new hot water fills the tub. The bath water remains in the tub for the whole evening with each member of the family bathing in it consecutively. The water is kept relatively clean by washing themselves before plunging in it. The evening routine cleanses and warms one’s body at the end of the day. The people using the bathhouse see communal bathing as no different to bathing at home.

Many would have had the childhood experience of bathing as a family, therefore bathing in the bathhouse is not so different from their daily ritual at home. The traditional bath areas are often dimly lit, only light enough for safety, preventing people from feeling as though their naked bodies are exposed and stared at. The gloomy environment accentuates the sensual experience of the hot water, echoing quiet chatter and the sound of footsteps on the wet floor.

It is the combination of the cultural custom, familiarity and the development of the bathhouse design that makes the experience comfortable for most users. While Japan expects a continual rise in foreign tourists, bathhouses are starting to accommodate bathers who are less accustomed to the collective bathing culture - one solution being the provision of loose clothing for coverage. The bathhouses must evolve with the contemporary social context however the balance must be explored between individual privacy and Japanese cultural tradition to maintain this delicate comfortable environment. Japanese bathhouse typology challenges the idea that the comfort of bathing can only be achieved in a locked private bathroom which is the norm in the West. People can become accustomed to bathing quietly in the same water as strangers demonstrating the power of daily routine, cultural conditioning and familiarity that defines a comfortable environment.

Meg Marumoto

4th Year Bsc (Hons) Architecture

B Basic bathing culture powerpoint by 風 https://www.toshiken.com/bath/pdf/japanesebath.pdf

Basic history, origin http://nikkenkyo.jp/before/4joho/roots/roots.htm http://www.mizu.gr.jp/kikanshi/no11/03.html https://archives.bukkyo-u.ac.jp/rp-contents/RO/0010/ RO00100L043.pdf

Image: Render and Pen Section Drawing by Meg Marumoto