I'm a student and i was wondering how public bathing works in Japan, and im also curious to see if there is any privacy?
Japan - 5 Answers
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1 :
Public baths are known as "sentos". Most homes these days have private bath's and showers so sentos are on the decline. Most people take bath's in the privacy of their own homes. There are things also known as "onsens" these are hot springs, and people go to them for relaxation/vacation. In both cases things are gender separated.
2 :
Isn't privacy the opposite of public? Anyway... In a general situation, you enter a locker room where you strip naked. You leave there and go to a washing station, which may be in a separate room or along the wall of the hot public bath area. It's considered rude and just plain wrong to enter the bath without washing and rinsing first. Wash up, rinse completely, then enter the hot pool. Enjoy it. Put a small towel on your head to look like a pro. Do that as long as you want. You can even get out, wash up and rinse again, then go back in the hot pool. When you're done, wash and rinse, go to your clothes and get dressed. You'd be wise to spend a night at one of the hot springs that has an attached inn. You won't regret it.
3 :
Public bath is cheap, while private bathes attached with the hotels is usually expensive. Public bath is not so wide in space. Private bathes are wide in washing area and bathing space.
4 :
You can't go if you have tattoo's at sento's. Because of the Yakuza's.
5 :
I go to the sento in my area all the time. It's a simple place with just a few baths. You go in and pay generally a few hundred yen. Some places you have to buy or bring your own soap. Others especially onsen will provide soap. You can also rent towels at most of them (check first!) The towels are typically small and used in the sento. As mentioned above sento and most onsen are segregated though there are a few onsen that have mixed bathing but only a few. There's no privacy from your fellow bathers. You strip down in the locker room area and put your clothes in a locker. The key is often on a wrist belt of some sort. At some onsen you pay a hundred yen to use the lockers. With some sento or onsen when you enter the bathing area, you might see a stack of buckets and small benches or seats. Take one of each and place in front of a shower. Typically you shower sitting down. Many people will fill up the bucket and splash it over themselves to get themselves started then they lather up and completely clean themselves before getting into the tub. The baths are for relaxing not cleaning. There are a few different baths which can vary in temperature. You have jaccuzi style, you have extremely hot, you have scented types, and even electric baths in some. If the sento or onsen has a sauna room they will have a cold bath nearby. Most onsen have outdoor baths which are screened from outside views. What's great is to get in an outdoor onsen in winter and have snow flakes falling on your head as you're soaking. There's a few onsen where you might share a bath with a monkey! http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2006/08/06/japanese-snow-monkeys-enjoy-a-warm-dip-to-fight-winters-chill/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAM-y89DQ8Q I've not been to a mixed bath as those are rather rare but I understand in most cases girls will wear a towel around their chest and guys wear one around the waist.
