The Japanese Bath

by Smith, Bruce; Yamamoto, Yoshiko

• ISBN13: 9781423625872
• ISBN10: 1423625870
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-01
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Summary

In the West, a bath is a place one goes to cleanse the body. In Japan, one goes there to cleanse the soul. The Japanese Bath delves into the aesthetic of bathing Japanese style and the innate beauty of the steps surrounding the process. The book includes sixty full-color photos that guide you how to create a Japanese bath in your own home.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 6
Introduction	p. 9
Bathing	p. 11
Entry	p. 13
The Datsuiba	p. 21
The Outside within the Inside	p. 23
Created Scenery	p. 31
Color	p. 40
With Darkness and Without	p. 43
Yuagari (after bath) and Yusuzumi (enjoying the cool of the evening)	p. 45
Without Silence	p. 46
Bathing Japanese Style	p. 51
With and Without Clothing	p. 55
The Time of the Day	p. 59
Materials	p. 71
About Wood	p. 73
The Tools of Bathing	p. 83
Bathing Together	p. 89
Glossary	p. 90
Resources	p. 92
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

It is just on the edge of evening. You have been surrounded by the push and bustle of people all day, and, finally, just now, you have returned home. Stopping to listen, you hear the late-afternoon breeze in the tall pine tree outside. You sit quietly on the back porch, peel and eat a tangerine, then walk a short while in your garden. Back inside, your clothing comes off easily and you put on a lightweight yukata. Walking to the bathhouse through the corridor overlooking the garden, you reach down to check the water temperature in the bath, then look up to see out the window and through the trees that the sun is just settling down between the distant hills. You hang the yukata on a hook and sit on a wooden stool in the washing area; you are now at the right height to look directly out into the trees. With the wooden bucket, you scoop water from the tub and pour it over yourself, rinsing off all the noise and bother of the day. You do this twice more, making sure that when you step into the bath, you will not carry with you any dirt or refuse. You lower yourself into the bath as the last sliver of the sun drops below the hills, then stay there ten, maybe fifteen, minutes, watching the colors change, grow in intensity, then settle back into a warm softness. Stepping again into the washing area, you scrub your body, starting with your hair, your ears, your neck, working your way down to your toes. After rinsing carefully, once again you sit back into the bath. It is growing dark now and suddenly seems quieter. Just barely you can hear the sound of the breeze.