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Brand & Interesting Facts
|29/01/2025
Japanese bathrooms are very different from European ones. We’ll show you what’s so special about them – and what makes using a Japanese bathroom such an unforgettable experience.
Unlike in Europe, bathrooms in Japan are typically divided up into different rooms.
There are usually two or three separate rooms, each of which serve a specific purpose. The anteroom, or dry area, has a washbasin – or Senmenjo in Japanese. This is the entrance area to the bathtub. There is usually some sort of furniture in this space, which also serves as a changing room.
The next space is the bathing room, also called Ofuro. This is the wet space in the Japanese bathroom, which features a shower and a deep bathtub. And when we say wet space, we mean it. Water can get on the floors, walls, everywhere – but we’ll elaborate on that later on. Everything in this room looks different than European bathrooms. There are no decorations, no rug, no shower curtain – all of these are totally unnecessary.
The toilet is located in another separate room. People wear special toilet slippers to enter this space – never their regular house slippers.
The reason to separate these spaces is to keep any of them from getting “dirty”. The place where people wash themselves and relax shouldn’t include a toilet, where people do their business.
Another great advantage of separate rooms is that several family members can use the bathroom at the same time.
Unlike in Europe, bathrooms in Japan are typically divided up into different rooms.
The bathtub plays a very special role in Japanese bathrooms. It is primarily intended for relaxation purposes. Bathing is as important to the culture as sushi, kimonos and green tea. The country is full of natural hot springs, Onsen and Sentos baths that people enjoy visiting for relaxing and healing.
In Japan, people also need to relax in their own homes. This is why a bathtub is an essential part of the Ofuro – even if the space only accommodates a very small one.
The bathtub is exclusively dedicated to relaxation. It is not a place for personal hygiene and cleansing. This is why people do this before they get in the bathtub. Usually, there is a place to sit next to the bathtub where people can wash themselves before they get in. It’s often a bucket with a handle that people use to thoroughly wash themselves first. Or they take a shower.
People in Japan generally bathe in very hot water, between 40-43 degrees Celsius. As several family members will bathe one after the other, this helps keep the temperature consistent.
Modern Japanese Ofuros often have a control panel next to the bathroom that helps control the temperature of the bathtub/shower water, keeping it at a constant level. This is also used to add or drain water, and a sensor automatically stops the water when filling.
There’s often an emergency button to notify people in the kitchen if you’ve forgotten something or need help. This is especially helpful for elderly or child bathers.
The bathtub plays a very special role in Japanese bathrooms.
We probably don’t need to explain much about how toilets in Japan are different. As the manufacturer of WASHLET®, TOTO is Japan’s largest and best-known producer of this hygienic, comfortable toilet. And if they haven’t already tried one, even Europeans are thrilled when they get to use them while visiting Japan. And it’s really not difficult to find WASHLET® in Japan: Nearly 80% of private homes have shower toilets. Even public toilets in airports, trains, restaurants, etc. are equipped with shower toilets.
But why is WASHLET® such an indispensable part of life in Japan? WASHLET® offers a number of features that are extremely important to people’s everyday lives and are just part of the culture: the best possible hygiene, innovative technologies, perfection, minimalist design, and the hospitality provided by maximum comfort.
What can WASHLET® do? What makes it stand out from the rest of the shower toilets? Read about this and more in this article.
Another special feature of Japanese bathrooms is how people think about water. They consider it a valuable resource and have come up with clever and practical ways to effectively conserve water.
For example: Once the bathtub is filled, the entire family uses it. It’s hygienic because everyone washes themselves thoroughly before they get in the bathtub.
But that’s not all. Japanese people will often use the bathtub water to do their laundry. Washing machines, which are usually found in the anteroom, come equipped with a suction hose that allows them to use water from the tub for their laundry.
Another clever way of saving water in Japan: washbasins on toilet tanks. The integrated washbasin makes it possible for the water used for handwashing to flow right into the toilet tank, where it is used to flush the toilet. TOTO also offers these types of solutions in Japan – but not on the European market, unfortunately.
Modern Japanese bathrooms are so-called prefabricated bathrooms. This means: People buy the entire bathroom including the walls, floors and all fixtures as a premade unit. There are standard sizes, but it’s also possible to have these made to order. This type of bathroom is especially practical for the Ofuro, or wet area. In this space, people can bathe and shower without any restrictions, producing as much moisture and humidity as desired. It’s necessary to have a very good ventilation system to supply cool or warm air to dry the Ofuro, which is usually integrated into the ceiling. As a result, it’s quite common in Japan for people to hang their washed clothing in the bathroom to dry.
Modern Japanese bathrooms are so-called prefabricated bathrooms
Another benefit of this type of bathroom: You can use highly insulated flooring materials, and the resulting airspace between the house and bathroom walls is also insulated. This is especially comfortable in the winter.
TOTO also offers prefabricated bathrooms as part of their product portfolio in Japan.
Yet another distinctive feature of the anteroom or changing area is that the washbasin here includes a telescopic shower head – a helpful tool to wash one’s hair, children or pets, just to name a few examples.
Ingenious tools, innovative technologies and space-saving features make Japanese bathrooms a thrilling experience for many – not just fans of the country.
Have you ever used a bathroom in Japan? Share your experience with us in the comments.
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