No matter where you live in the world, etiquette is an aspect of our everyday lives, and should be portrayed as an underlying feature of relative importance for the good of societal functionality. In some places, etiquette is an act of respect that is sought as a normality to which appreciation can be attained. In other places, it is an ingrained feature of the cultural aspects within the community. Etiquette in Japan is an extremely important element that defines the upbringing of the Japanese people, as a whole.
It is very important to abide by the expectations of social behavior when visiting a host country. In today's post, I will specifically be focusing in on one particular aspect of the Japanese culture that I was able to experience where etiquette emerges as an essential component.
Bathing in Japan is an important part of the daily life and routine, and there are a number of small, detailed factors to be aware of before entering a traditional Japanese bathhouse, more often referred to as 'sentos' or 'onsens.' The main difference between these two lies in how the bath water is obtained. 'Sentos' receive their water from locally sourced tap water which is heated in a nearby boiler, whereas 'onsens' use natural water from geothermic hot springs.
Partaking in this kind of cultural experience is probably one of the scariest aspects of Japanese culture for most foreigners, due to the fear of doing something incorrectly. Just follow these guidelines below and you will have nothing to worry about!
Before entering a Japanese bathhouse, you must first remove your shoes just as you would before entering someone's home, and place them in an open locker. Here you will also likely receive a wooden plank with a key attached or simply a key which will be used later on to lock up your belongings.
Depending on the bathhouse, you will then either use a machine to purchase your ticket (every machine that I used was in Japanese) or you will purchase a ticket from an attendant at the counter (prices may vary, but the traditional price in Tokyo is set at 450 yen, or roughly 4.50 USD). Next, you will enter the side of the bathhouse designated to your gender (all bathhouses are separated via sex). Again, symbols will appear in Japanese, so I was pretty lost the first time around, but an important rule of thumb is- men to the left and women to the right, or men enter through the blue and women the pink. Now you will be set to enter the locker room where you will find an open locker, strip down (completely naked- there are no exceptions to this) and place your belongings inside. Here you will use the key received from the shoe locker to lock up your belongings... now you are ready to enter the bathing area. But before you hop in the bath, it is extremely important you be sure to cleanse yourself at a showering station. So find yourself a stool (located at the front near the sliding glass door), plop down and start washing. After you have cleansed your entire body and have removed all the soap from your skin, you may now enter the bath.
This culture filled experience is unlike any other I have ever encountered. You will feel at ease upon entering the bath and it will allow you to reach a point of therapeutic relaxation which is indescribable. The native people will not go about their routine any differently if a tourist is bathing in a public bathhouse, especially if you follow the correct etiquette as I have explained above. However, if you do not follow the rules, then you will likely get a glare here and there because etiquette to them is a very serious matter. Absolutely be sure to cleanse before bathing, keep the noise to a minimum and absolutely no horseplay.
Some other quick tips include:
Bring your own gear (soap, shaving cream, razor, towels, etc.) if you prefer to not pay a small fee for these things.
If you have tattoos, then I am afraid you're out of luck on this one.
Long hair must be tied up or wrapped in a towel upon entering the bath.
Keep your (big) towel in the locker room, only bring your small one into the bathing area to cleanse your body and to cover up.
No alcohol (I think this one is for pretty obvious reasons).
That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed! Oh, and remember, when in Japan, do as the Japanese do!
Let me know what you guys think in the comments down below, I would love to hear what you all have to say regarding this experience