Japanese Public Bathing Exposed: The Naked Truth- ONLY in JAPAN

[Leith]

3. I Lived in Tokyo for 3 Years Many Many Years Ago

and I went to the local public bath for about a year. Sitting in water that is just a bit too hot really puts the sleepiness into you. Even after the 10 minute walk back home, I would still be toasty warm and drop into the futon as soon as I got home.

The thing I miss most about Japan? My kotatsu. A kotatsu is a table like a card table, but it has a heat lamp under the top. You can remove the top and put a blanket over the frame. Your legs are toasty warm, you can wrap the blanket around your hips, and it's wonderfully comfortable.

Another use for a kotatsu? My old camera broke with half a roll of really good pictures still in it. I waited until it was dark, turned off all the lights, crawled under the kotatsu with the red heat lamp on, and switched the film into the new camera. It actually worked and the pics turned out great.

Edited to add: pics of kotatsus.