Value Village ／ Health
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Soaking in the bathtub every evening is one of the Japanese habits that foreign visitors ask about most. The useful question is not "which is right". It is that the bath comes with official warnings you should know before you adopt the habit.
According to the Consumer Affairs Agency's warning, sudden deaths during bathing are estimated at about 19,000 a year (including causes other than drowning). In 2022 (Reiwa 4), 7,900 people aged 65 and over drowned, of whom 5,824 were in bathtubs at home or in a residential facility.
The guide given is "water temperature 41°C (106°F) or below, and no more than 10 minutes in the water". This is a caution specific to the bathtub; it does not apply to showers.
[Verify] The figures are based on the Consumer Affairs Agency's warning. Check the original and the latest year's data before publication.
For the purpose of washing, a shower is enough. It is not a question of cleanliness.
The changes that come from warming up are well known, but the effect varies from person to person and cannot be stated as certain.
The guide is up to 10 minutes. A long bath makes you lose fluid, and can also cause loss of consciousness through raised body temperature.
41°C or below is the guide. In addition, the temperature difference from the changing area is described as triggering sudden changes in blood pressure. In winter, warming the changing area and bathroom is recommended (Japanese bathrooms and changing areas are often unheated).
Switch according to the season and how you feel. There is no need to fix on one.
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https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_safety/caution/caution_042/assets/consumer_safety_cms204_20201119_02.pdf
https://www.gov-online.go.jp/article/202111/entry-9952.html
https://www.e-healthnet.mhlw.go.jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
If you have a chronic condition or are older, ask a doctor about bathing.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
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