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The first thing to remember is that the Japanese bathtub is not for washing. It is for warming your body and relaxing your tired muscles and nerves. If followed like a ritual, the Japanese bath melts away the physical and nervous tensions accumulated during the day.

You are expected to wash the most obviously dirty parts of your body before entering the tub. A basin and a itty-bitty stool whose sitting area seems to be only half enough is provided. You sit on this stool and draw water into the basin from a tap.

Following this first wash, you climb into the tub for a good, long soak. The Japanese like their bath hot. When you can't stand the heat any longer, you get out of the tub and again wash your entire body clean. Rinse off all the soap suds by splashing yourself with plenty of water and then slip back into the tub for a second soak!

Foreigners who should happen to soap or scrub their body inside the tub may be labelled a barbarian who doesn't know how to take a bath in a civilized way!

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