Since its first publication in 1992, How to Take a Japanese Bath by Leonard Koren, with illustrations by Suehiro Maruo has become a curious classic, taking a simple (yet often incorrectly performed) activity and depicting it with a graphic, manga-style edge.
In twelve drawings a young Japanese man is shown preparing, rinsing, soaking, communing, relaxing, contemplating—all an encouragement to readers to slow down, ease into the hot water, and enjoy this timeless ritual of purity and release.
In Japan bathing is a ritual that since ancient times has offered spiritual contentment through the purification and cleansing of the physical body. This brief guide describes the twelve steps in taking a hot, sensual, Japanese-style bath—from the moment inspiration strikes, through the lathering and rinsing (outside the tub), to soaking, relaxing, and letting the mind wander through the universe until it's time for an apres-bath cool off. Useful to travelers, How to Take a Japanese Bath is also for hedonists, hot tubbers, and fans of stylish, understated graphic art.
