I just got back from a fabulous two week trip to Shikoku, the Seitouchi area and Kyoto, but I'm curious as to why several of the bathrooms in my wonderful accommodations lacked soap in the toilet area. I'm referring to the the small separate rooms containing a modern washlet toilet and a small sink, separate or away from a different area containing the main sink and the shower/bathing area. This article explores why there is no soap in Japanese bathrooms, looking at the history of Japanese bathrooms and their cultural beliefs about cleanliness.
It also looks at the introduction of soap to Japan during the Meiji period, modern day practices and alternatives used instead of soap such as body wash, washcloths infused with natural oils and natural exfoliants. The benefits of not. A question out of genuine curiosity - Why do so many public restrooms here lack hand soap? Do people just not use soap to wash their hands after using the toilet there?
Katie, 23 from California was quite surprised when she was in a Japanese bathroom. "No soap in like half of the bathrooms. No towels or drying systems either.
I learned quickly to carry a small hand towel," she added. Most Japanese people carry tissue packets to use as toilet paper and hand towels or handkerchiefs for drying hands after. Find out how bathrooms work in Japan and the rituals to follow during your stay in a hotel, ryokan, or Airbnb.
Why do Japanese bathrooms not have soap? Why? Well, that's the way it is in Japan in traditional buildings and clearly it cuts down on installation cost. Japanese baths are generally set up so that bathers don't need to bring anything. The basics - shampoo, soap and towels.
The bath water tends to be relatively hot, typically between 40 and 43 degrees. After soaking, leave the tub and clean your body with soap. Make sure that no soap gets into the bathing water.
Once you finished cleaning and have rinsed all the soap off your body, enter the bath tub once more for a final soaking. Why do Japanese bathrooms not have soap? Why? Well, that's the way it is in Japan in traditional buildings and clearly it cuts down on installation cost. The idea is to just wash down your hand, not to do a proper hand wash with warm water and soap.
If you use a restroom in Japan, make sure you bring your own hand towel. Most Japanese public bathrooms don't offer paper towels or hand dryers. Why are Japanese bathrooms different? Unlike modern bathrooms seen across the world, in a Japanese bathing area, the shower is outside the tub which is in line with traditional Japanese bathing culture.