Bathing in Japan : A Review

Abstract

A large number of deaths while bathing at home are reported in Japan, most of them among the elderly during winter. Since cold exposure and large temperature variations cause serious diseases, the reason for these accidental deaths might be cold exposures before, during and after bathing, and bathing in very hot water. We have reported that, in cold environments, the blood pressure of the elderly increase more rapidly than that of young people and that, in addition, there is a delayed sensitivity to cold in the elderly. These physiological and psychological responses during winter bathing put the elderly at high risk of serious diseases such as a cerebral apoplexy and ischemic heart disease. The installation of heating equipment in winter in Japanese houses is recommended. In this paper, the characteristics of bathing in Japan were reviewed on the basis of our several field and experimental studies.