On a cold day, lowering yourself into a hot bath can feel almost shocking at first. The heat grips your whole body, and for a moment, every muscle tightens. Then, little by little, you get used to it. Your body begins to relax, you breathe out slowly, and sometimes a low “aaah” escapes without you even meaning to make a sound. Eventually, your body seems to settle into the temperature of the water.
In many Japanese homes, bathwater is set slightly hotter than shower water because the two are used for different purposes. A shower is used while washing your body and hair. You keep moving and let the water run over your skin, so it needs to remain comfortable throughout the time you are using it. A bathtub, by contrast, is a place to immerse your whole body, stop moving, and warm up properly. Some people prefer the water to feel distinctly hot when they first get in.
In Japan, people generally wash their bodies and hair before entering the tub. The bathwater is not used for washing. Once you get in, you simply soak. The shower cleans the body; the bath warms it and gives it time to rest. Since they serve different purposes, the temperature that feels comfortable does not have to be the same.
Of course, not every Japanese person likes a hot bath. Some prefer to soak for a long time in lukewarm water, while others choose a hotter bath and stay in for less time. Many households also change the temperature depending on the season. There is no single temperature that makes a bath “Japanese.” Still, in winter, when your body is cold, the change from the first intense heat to the moment when your body finally relaxes into the water can feel especially satisfying.
Once you are in the tub, there is nothing left to wash and no reason to keep moving. You can sink in up to your shoulders, close your eyes, and breathe slowly. After a while, the tension leaves your shoulders and arms, and your mind begins to quiet down as well. Being able to think about nothing for a few minutes can feel almost meditative.
A shower can warm you, but it is harder to recreate the feeling of being surrounded by one steady temperature while your body slowly loosens. You enter the water tense, then gradually relax until the water and your body seem to come into balance. In a Japanese home, that whole process is part of what it means to “take a bath.”