Japanese Bath (pb), The
In the West, a bath is a place one goes to cleanse the body. In Japan, one goes there to cleanse the soul. Bathing in Japan is about much more than cleanliness, though cleanliness is certainly important. It is about family and community—the washing of each other’s backs before bathing. It is also about being alone and contemplative, taking time to watch the moon rise above the garden.The idea of taking time and care with one’s bath in Japan is as important as taking time and care with the cooking and serving of a meal. There is also a ritual to taking a Japanese bath, a prescribed order of rinsing, washing, and soaking that is passed down from one generation to the next.The Japanese Bath delves into the aesthetic of bathing Japanese style—the innate beauty of the steps surrounding the process along with sixty full-color illustrations of the light and airy baths themselves. A Zen meditation, the Japanese bath cleanses the soul, and one emerges refreshed, renewed, and serene.Lovers of history and historical writing, Yoshiko Yamamoto and Bruce Smith write on the Arts & Crafts movement, bungalows, crafts, food, and Japanese aesthetics. Together they have written The Beautiful Necessity: Decorating with Arts & Crafts, and Arts & Crafts Ideals: Wisdom from the Arts & Crafts Movement. Smith has also authored Greene and Greene: Masterworks. They own the Arts & Crafts Press, in Port Orchard, Washington, where they print letterpress note cards and prints.