Customer Reviews

The Japanese Bath

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I'm confronted with a major redecoration of my bathroom (status post leaking tub, water damaged floor, and Great Dane deconstruction project!), so I've been casting about for ideas. Since I've always admired the minimalist beauty of Japanese art and architecture and the oriental appreciation of the natural as art, when I found The Japanese Bath by Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto I decided to check it out for ideas. What I was looking for was practical information, however, and this book is more a philosophy of The Bath as multi level sensual experience. As the authors write, "Entering a bath in Japan is to enter another world. It is a place where one not only cleans the body but also cleanses the mind (p. 13)".

The photos are lovely (my favorites are the "created scenery" on pp. 30, 33, and 47), and one can hardly but envy those wealthy enough to have the space, let alone the wherewithal, to have a separate building devoted to the "zen" of bathing. Unfortunately I live in a town house, and I rather doubt that the association would appreciate my extending my bathroom into the commons-I could be wrong, but I sincerely doubt it; they're not terribly open minded! I suspect I am not alone in my lack of space for major remodeling.

Taking the above quote from page 13 as a starting point, what I did gain from the book was a realization that in our fast paced Western lives we can still find moments of relaxation and relief from stress by creating small environments in our homes conducive to the Eastern concept of "centering." It needn't be hours long and one needn't even be consciously aware of the effect to derive a benefit from the experience. While The Japanese Bath provided some information useful to the average person for creating a bathing room (it does discuss tubs and wood for making them), there was little of the nitty gritty of how to apply the philosophy to the smaller homes most of us live in these days.

The information one gleans from The Japanese Bath has to be more indirect. The notes on the Japanese "palette," for instance, suggest the use of darker, less vivid colors to create a quieter, more restful room. Certainly this idea above all gave me a starting point that finally helped me pull some of my other ideas more smoothly into place. I'd been struggling with loosely associated "great" ideas for over a year. The notion that brighter isn't necessarily better also gave me plans for less direct lighting-after all one isn't always shaving or putting on makeup. Integrating something of nature into the bathroom-table top fountains, plants, an aquarium, etc.-while it seems a bit `70s, certainly isn't a bad one; furthermore it's affordable and not terribly space intensive.

Still while it's nice to see how the other half lives-or at least the other 5%- the book really is more of a coffee table display than a practical book for the average home owner to make design plans.

A relatively short book (less than 100 pages), what "The Japanese Bath" lacks in length it makes up for in content. Just about every page is filled with beautiful, full color photos ranging from small, home baths, to exquisite, private baths found in spas, to the large, community baths found in Japan. The authors keep the writing brief and simple, but it's nonetheless enlightening and captures well the Japanese mindset towards bathing.

Paragraphs on how to build a Japanese bath from scratch are absent, but a great emphasis is placed on the points that make the Japanese bath so unique: lighting, depth, materials. The book provides abundant inspiration for creating your own design, without providing actual builders plans.

If your wish is to incorporate a Japanese bath into your home, or simply to visit one, the resources guide in the back of the book will prove very useful. Most suppliers and spas are on the West Coast, but many have web addresses where they can be reached. One of the finest, Ki Arts, boasts "the flexibility to work anywhere in the world" since they utilize the traditional Japanese joinery system for their projects.

All in all, "The Japanese Bath" gives truth to the adage that great things can come in small packages. It is a diminutive, but excellent volume for those interested in the topic.

The descriptions in the book were appropriate and accurate but the photos were mostly of baths in California! I was really hoping for more photos of actual Japanese baths in Japan, and was confused by the choice to include many California baths.

"The Japanese Bath" gives a very good introduction to the purposes, ritual and architecture of bathing Japanese-style. The authors explain why the Japanese bath doesn't belong alongside a toilet in a Western bathroom, and why taking a shower falls short of the Japanese bathing experience.

There's an explanation of the essential elements of the Japanese bath for those who wish to create one (homeowners are encouraged to have a room or outbuilding dedicated to bath use). The bath's relationship to the outdoors is also explained.

The book includes a lengthy list of resources for bath-related fixtures and other items. Many suppliers are in California.

The pictures are beautiful, tranquil and relaxing.

What you won't find here is a lot of scaled drawings or plans describing how to build a bath; instead, you'll be encouraged to choose the proper site in your home or on your property and develop a design to fit your space and needs after looking at the authors' examples. A knowledgable, sensitive do-it-yourselfer could read the book and take it from there.

A few "sample" architectural-type plans would have improved the book for my own use, but "The Japanese Bath" remains a very beautiful and informative book.

This is a handsome little book. The emphasis is on photography. If you're seeking a photo essay for Japanese baths and possible details (designs, plans, etc.) this is not the reference for you. However, if you just want a visually pleasing browse, this book has beautiful photography and very limited captions. You're not likely to use this book for detailed design research but you may find it useful for idea research (brainstorming). Although the baths look authentic, most of them are Western replicas(many in the US) of their Japanese cousins. If it's authentic Japanese baths and detailed explanations (concepts, theories, etc.) this is not the book for you. But, if you just want a nice browse, the photographs are thought provoking enough to be useful.

"The Japanese Bath" begins with the key distinction that while in the West a bath is a place you go to cleanse the body, in Japan a bath is where you go to cleanse the soul. Whether you are talking about being alone and contemplative, or with family and friends, the Japanese are committed to the idea of taking as much time and care with your bath as you do with the cooking and serving of a meal. Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto attempt to both introduce and explain the ritual of taking a Japanese bath, with its prescribed order of rinsing, washing, and soaking, as well as the Zen meditation that allows you to cleanse your soul so that you can emerge refreshed, renewed, and serene.

This book also focuses on the aesthetic of bathing Japanese style, which covers a lot more than design. There are some distinct architectural features that distinguish Japanese from Western bath, but there is more to the experience than putting a wooden bathtub in your home. Much more important is the idea that washing is something you do separately from soaking, which goes a long way towards understanding why the idea of relaxing each day by sinking slowly and carefully into the hot water of a bath can be so appealing, which is why my dream bathtub is an overflow tub that allow you to totally immerse yourself.

I actually picked up this book because we are in the processing of designing a new home (and might actually be able to build it), so I was looking for ideas to be used in a master bathroom or perhaps a hot tub/sauna area. Granted, our options are limited by living in a region where it is literally winter half the year (it snows from Halloween to Easter), but from the idea of using wood rather than tile and incorporating garden elements into the setting, this book can certainly give you a new perspective on what is possible because of the focus on aesthetics.

The ideal experience of the Japanese bath exists in the context of a bathhouse, but the color photographs that accompanying the text here look at both outdoor and indoor baths, both public ("sento") and private, as well as traditional and modern styles, found both in Japan and in the United States (predominantly in California (but also includes some choice examples in Santa Fe, New Mexico). You will learn about the entry, the "engawa" (the long corridor or veranda that provides an interim space between the inside and the outside), "datsuiba" (changing room), the "shakkei" ("borrowing scenery"), as well as "yuagari" (after bath) and "Yusuzumi" (enjoying the cool of the evening).

Smith and Yamamoto provide practical hints throughout the book on the topics of creating a small rock garden, landscaping with two or more stones, and using stone lanterns. They discuss color in the Japanese bath, the use of particular sounds to add to the experience, and family bathing in the Japanese style. Sections are also devoted to bathing with and without clothing, the time of day, and the type of food and drink that would be most appropriate. The final sections of the book are devoted to actually making your own Japanese bath covering materials, wood, and water (which explains why they pay attention to planning and constructing a waterproof room). This is not a "how to" book, but by the time you get to that part you will be thinking about whether you could create your own Japanese bath. Fortunately the last thing in the book is a list of resources that covers not only designers and bath makers, but also public baths you can visit (in California and Santa Fe).

I love the concepts in this book, so much so that I long to have a house with two bathrooms, one with toilet, one without, with a separate bath and shower area, and if I can't have a view with a nice garden, I could at least have a great overhead skylight. Now, doesn't that sound like heaven?!

Now, obviously, I can't have a japanese bath in my apartment, however I have found a way to make do with what I have. I have a little plastic footstool for the bathroom now that I put in the tub, and I wash in about an inch of water, scrubbing with my bar of Neutrogena while my feet soak. Then I put on my exfoliating gloves, massage my feet and then rub my soles with my so-called "foot rock", and I splash off with a Glad container of water all over. Then I do the hair while the water drains, and rinse off hair and bathtub. and then, oh, then, do I remove the stool, put fresh clean water in the tub as hot as I can stand it, cut out the light, put on soft jazz and light my PierOne fresh herb candle, and contemplate the stillness for about 15-20 minutes. Naturally, I don't do this every day, and I only do it in the evening..and this works for me because mornings just aren't good, and there's something about waking up already clean!

I never realized the Japanese were so clean. I worry that other countries want to emulate our wasteful ways too much, and don't appreciate that they have things we Americans may want to adopt as well. After reading this little book I'm so envious. Interesting that people take a bath right after work. The public bath sounds less than appealing, but a private oasis is definitely something to consider for my next home.

I have come away with a new respect for the Japanese (I wonder if the Chinese are as meticulous), and I take way better care of my bathroom now. I bought a wonderful, terry-towel robe, but would like a "summer-weight" one. Most of all, I would love to visit California and some of those bath houses, like the one shown on page 13 with the adorable "temple cat" patrolling the entryway.

Thank you, Bruce and Yoshiko, for writing this book!

I have had great difficulty in finding good information about Japanese soaking tubs of the kind that I saw in Japan. This book, written for the U.S. market, not only contains a plethora of wonderful pictures and ideas for the tub I was planning for my bathroom, it included suppliers and other resources that have proven invaluable.

In spring, one enjoys gazing at the fragile white petals of plum and watching the cherry blossoms fall; in summer, the rich green wisteria leaves threaten to climb through the window into the bathroom; in autumn, while taking a bath, one can watch how the brilliantly colored Japanese maples darken in color day by day; and, in winter, the perfect complement to a hot steamy bath is the cold wind that brushes through the bare silvery branches covered with crisp white snow. ~Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto

If you dream of bathing in a forest as the moon rises over pine trees, then this book will inspire you to keep dreaming and I knew I was not the only person in the world to wish to bathe outdoors. Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto have created a book filled with bathing experiences to cleanse the soul. This is about the philosophy of the bathing experience and how to recreate this experience in your own home. You will find information on the setting of the bath, what the entry should look like, how to create scenery and how to create lighting with lanterns.

If you are looking for an immediate bathing experience, try the ZIA Sea Mineral Soak. The authors do not recommend use of bath salts in the wooden baths, but I don't see why you could not use them in other materials. If you are thinking of building your own Japanese bath, there is a section on resources, mainly companies in California and New Mexico. There are also a number of websites for further research. The list of Public Baths may inspire a visit to a Hot Spring style spa. The Glossary is a quick reference for the Japanese names like lanterns and plum tea.

After reading this book, I'm even more determined to find a vacation spot complete with a private Japanese bath. I found the text to be soul warming, the pictures inspirational and a part of my heart understands the need for soaking in solitude, preferably in a beautiful garden by the light of the moon, with the reflection of a mountain dancing in the ripples.

What we have given up with morning showers! After reading this beautiful work of art, you may find yourself longing for the luxury of bathing in deep water. I loved the picture of the Japanese bath in the winter snow. If only there was a view from my garden tub. At least there are many ideas you can incorporate into your bathing experience, even if it is indoors.

This book would make a perfect gift inside a small cedar bucket along with bath salts, lotions, essential oils, body brush and a fluffy towel or robe/yukata. This is a book you can read in the tub or curl up with in bed after a warm bath.

~The Rebecca Review

The Japanese Bath introduces the art of the Japanese bath through photo after beautiful photo. If you are inspired to actually install such a bath, you will need to consult additional resources. The book is useful for its inspiring photos, introduction to the "way of the bath," and a limited list of resources. Good inspiration!