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  Thursday  May 9  2002    12: 16 AM

Hot Tubs

Ofuro

In a Japanese bath, an extra-deep tub is filled to the top with very hot water, in which you sit submerged up to the neck. Most people spend about half an hour in the bath every night. Most children take their baths with their father or mother until they are in the upper grades of elementary school. The family tub is an important place for parent-child communication.
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thanks to consumptive.org

My family lived in Japan in the late 50s courtesy of the US Air Force. I was 12 when we went over and 16 when we moved back to the States and Seattle. Our first house in Japan was off-base. It was there that I was introduced to the Japanese hot tub — the ofuro. The American hot tub is not the same. The ofuro is for bathing — not swimming. Would you take a shower with your swimming suit on? I didn't think so. And I hate all that water swirling around with the noise of the pumps and violent water. I just like to sit there, soaking in still hot water. I would be nice to be looking out on a nice garden too. Peaceful, relaxing.