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A spread from “How to Take a Japanese Bath.” (Courtesy Stone Bridge Press)
A spread from “How to Take a Japanese Bath.” (Courtesy Stone Bridge Press)

For Leonard Koren, Taking a Japanese Bath is the “Ultimate Experience”

On the 30th anniversary of his book “How to Take a Japanese Bath,” the artist and aesthetics expert discusses the spiritual and cultural value of bathing.
By Mara Fisher
January 17, 2022
10 minute read
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In the early ’90s, artist, aesthetics expert, and writer Leonard Koren was bathing at a hot-springs resort near the Japanese city of Kamakura when he was struck by an idea for his next book. Observing his fellow bathers, Koren noticed that each one followed the same time-honored Japanese bathing procedure: Undress and wash the body with warm water; submerge in a tub (or pool) of hot water, enjoying the steam and warmth until the body is thoroughly heated; exit the tub and wash the body and scalp with soap and water; then enter the tub once more for a longer soak.

#Health and Wellness#Home#Culture#Asia#Books
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