O Furo (1891)

Letter from an European diplomat invited by the governor of a seaside city:
The evening of my arrival, we had an excellent dinner, the sake was tasty, the governor his wife and daughters share it with me. The young servants looked like charming dolls, the music the songs and the dances played by the geishas brighten up the party.
At seven o clock next morning, my servant Araï san waked me up:
Sir your bath is ready;
I jumped out of my bed and said:
Araï where is the batroom?
Sir there is no batroom in the governor house.
So Araï san where is the tub?
With his hand he show me the window : overthere sir.
I was surprised, knowing that the garden was there.
When i moved the the japanese window what an extraordinay view.
Early june the japanese miniature garden with lakes, rivers, bridges and lanterns was beautiful.
But if the sunny morning scene was charming the one who really surprised me was going on at the opposite side. A few metre from the house was wodden tub in the middle of the flower beds.
In frony of the tub, the governor, his wife his daughters, and the maids totally naked.
I thought they just finished to take their bath and being myself a little shide i closed the window asked :
Araï, have they finished to take their bath?
No Sir they wait for you!
What, why they wait for me?
Arai said: to share the bath with you. In Japan politeness imposes that the guest starts first; after you comes the governor, then his wife, his daughters and the maids.
It is a great honour for them all to be here and to help you, the distingished and honorable guest!
Araï, i do not have a swimsuit!
He smiled modestly.
Sir they do not have either.
Sure but they are used to but not myself. Could i skip my bath this morning?
Oh Sir this is impossible!You would be seen as a dirty man. In Japan there is no worser reputation that being a dirty man and that would ruine your reputation and your mission.
Ok i will join and i started to walk to their direction.
AraÏ stopped me said : please take off your pyjama here.
When i opened the door the governor, his wife and his daughters run in my direction ;
We exchanged a lot of greatings first, then he congratulate me for my strait legs. he asked me the permission to touch my knee because they seemed different from his ones, the laddies did the same.
Finally i reach the tub and jumped in the water. But i jumped out as fast i enter.
The water was boiling: japanese people take their bath at a temperature we cannot support.
Loocking to my servant i talled him that i take the morning cold.
I informed them yesterday, but they sought that it was a jock§
The governor asked the maids to change the water for cold. During all this time we where naked.
Finally i toock my bath in the cold water.
At my surprise the governor did the same. The japanese politeness requires that he takes his bath in the same water that mine. For him, used to take the bath in hot water, it has being a torture. After him his wife, his daughters and the maids did the same.
The next day i left the governor shamed; i hopped that they will not get pneumonia:

Comment:
*this letter relates the reaction from the first westerner in Japan. Their difficulties to understand the cultural difference.
* The westerner pressured the japanese autorities to change their lifesytle .

Mixed bathing in japan:

Long ago in Japan the houses didn't have a bathroom. But there where many public bath every where. The traditional Japanese Inn or " Ryokan"didn't have bathroom either in the guest room and even now some don't have yet. Japanese people do not like do be alone in small bathrooms. Japanese people like to relax in big bathroom even with stranger. This is the japanese bathing style

In the past there was no separation between man and women in the bathroom and even today the familly takes the bath together.

So, for the japanese people it is ordinary matter to take a nude bath, without worrying about gender.

At the end of the nineteens century when Japan open to the West, the pressure from the prudish europeens and americans forced japanese people to change their way of life and most of the onsen became separated bathing.

Custom of mixed bathing kept up to now:

Though it decreased, the habit of mixed bathing is still kept.There is also a japanese association to promote the culture of mixed bathing. This association defends the mixed bathing as a legacy to be defended for the benefit of the futur generations.

Definition of mixed bathing in Japan:

It is more than just man and women who are bathing together!It is a social event where people meet from both gender, of all age, all social positions, in an complete spirit of freedom, with no cloth in public place hot spring to share a bath.

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