A bathhouse in Japan is not just a place of ablutions, ofuro is a source of youth, health and spiritual enlightenment. The peculiarity of Japanese bathing traditions is that they are in complete harmony with nature, thanks to which they, in fact, appeared.
Ofuro and furako
Unique bathing traditions, completely different from European ones, originated in Japan thanks to hot springs and religious beliefs. Even in ancient times, people noticed that bathing in hot springs gives not only cleanliness, but also health. And since Buddhism prohibits the use of any items of animal origin, including soap, wool and fur, it has always been important for the Japanese not only to wash well, but also to warm themselves well. It was then that ofuro appeared, in translation from Japanese - "bath".
One of the attributes of a Japanese bath is furako. It is a large oak or cedar barrel with a bench for 2-3 or 5-6 people. Furako is filled with water of 35-50 degrees, to which essential oils and incense are added. Sitting on a bench, a person warms up well and relaxes.
In addition to furako, there are also ofuro fonts in the Japanese bath. These are rectangular wooden containers filled with sawdust heated to 50-70 degrees, most often cedar with the addition of medicinal herbs. After warming up in furaco, a person lies down in sawdust, which massage the skin well. And the pleasant smell makes the procedure even more useful. Such a bath procedure helps to improve metabolism, as well as weight loss. Ofuro is especially appreciated by Japanese athletes - this procedure eliminates muscle fatigue and gives strength.
The traditional bathing procedure in Japan is as follows. First, a person is washed with soap and a washcloth to be absolutely clean. Then he plunges into furako with water heated to 35-40 degrees. The area of the heart remains above the surface of the water. After a while, the visitor to the bath is transferred to the second furako with a water temperature of about 50 degrees. If there is only one barrel of water, then it simply gradually heats up to the desired temperature. The third stage is immersion in ofuro with sawdust. This procedure perfectly relaxes, heals blood vessels and the respiratory system, removes toxins.
Another feature of the traditional Japanese bath is that it is often a kind of club where friends, business partners, politicians and voters meet. And after the bath procedures, people gather and chat over a cup of healing tea.
Sento
Along with home baths, there are also public baths in Japan - sento. Most often it is a large room, divided by a curtain into two halves - male and female. There are taps and small stools along the walls. The Japanese sit on stools, put basins in front of them, pour water into them and wash themselves very thoroughly with soap and a washcloth. Then they move on to the next room, where there are pools of hot water, in which they relax. Despite the fact that modern Japanese have the opportunity to shower every day at home, many of them visit sento every day. And perhaps that is why there are so few fat people in Japan and so many centenarians.
