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Man Wishes He’d Done Research Before Visiting Japanese Bathhouse After Embarrassing Incident
There’s a good chance that a tourist visiting a faraway country may deal with some form of culture shock. While many of these experiences are easy to laugh off, some can take an embarrassing turn. Such is the case for Reddit user Bento-Sento, who is still haunted by his 2017 Japan trip.
According to his account, it happened at a traditional indoor bathhouse that locals mostly frequented. And being a naive foreigner, some of his actions led to unpleasant responses.
Ultimately, his first Japanese bathhouse experience caused him a great deal of shame, something he has yet to get over.
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Many Westerners enjoy traveling to Japan for its food and culture
Image credits: Ishikawa Ken / flickr (not the actual photo)
An exchange student from New Zealand included a traditional indoor bathhouse on his bucket list of places to visit
Image credits: Soyoung Han / unsplash (not the actual photo)
It didn’t take long for him to run into some trouble
Image credits: Sincerely Media / unsplash (not the actual photo)
It was an honest mistake but an utterly embarrassing one
Image credits: Bento-Sento
Tourists must adhere to rules and guidelines when entering a Japanese bathhouse
The original poster entered a bathhouse unprepared, leading to his unforgettable experience. Japanese teacher and calligrapher Mayo Nomura wrote an article for Matcha to guide anyone intending to visit.
For one, people with tattoos could be barred from entry because of their association with organized crime. But it will differ from one spot to another.
“Even small, cute tattoos may get you denied entry at an onsen or sento (plus pools, waterparks, and public beaches, too), so check the onsen’s webpage beforehand to confirm their particular tattoo policy.”
As for the tub itself, Nomura reminds tourists that washing oneself, doing laundry, and swimming are considered “bad manners.”
“Most onsen inns and hotels will have toiletries available, but you have to bring your own to a sento—especially if it is a small, local one.”
Image credits: sanmai / flickr (not the actual photo)
Japan has a love-hate relationship with tourists
The rules of etiquette may exist, but they won’t necessarily be followed by everyone. Many Japanese people have grown tired of tourists’ lack of manners.
In 2018, the people of Kyoto dealt with such problems, particularly with foreigners failing to segregate their trash. The local government had to take action by setting up advertising campaigns to promote better manners.
“For a long time, Kyoto has experienced various issues as our tourists have increased,” city tourism head Shuhei Akahoshi told The Sydney Morning Herald. “Our goal is harmonious coexistence and mutual benefit between our citizens and our guests.
“For us in Kyoto, we do not think of things in terms of confrontation or conflict, but instead, we believe in achieving harmony through careful work.”
But in recent years, locals felt the need for tourism to keep their economy afloat.
“Kyoto is a tourist city, and without foreign tourists, we’re really in trouble,” 70-year-old antique shop owner Hiroshi Fujie told Global Times in 2022.
Japan saw an economic boost in 2023 from 25 million tourists. Many others, like the original poster, have likely behaved in a way that offended locals, but they will also likely be welcomed back into the country—unless it’s this guy.
Image credits: Graham Powell-Wood / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The original poster responded to some comments
Some commenters also shared similar personal experiences
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What do you think ?
Jack Burton 1 year ago
I had this experiment in Jordan without speaking arabic but people were really helpful, smiling and even if i was not sure about how to act it was an enjoyable experiment. Japanese culture has a lot of wonderful parts but it's so shame inducing if you don't know exactly how to act.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
Arthur Dent and his seatmate aggressively ate the entire packet of biscuits. When Arthur Dent eats a biscuit, it stays eaten.
Matthew Jameson 1 year ago
I once went to an Asian massage parlor in NYC to help relieve my back pain. The old lady at the front desk kept asking me "you wanna moon key glease?" over and over, until one of the girls told me she was asking if I "wanted my monkey greased." I most certainly did not. 😁
Lu 1 year ago
As an Asian person who’s somewhat familiar with certain expectations shall we call it - I would still have to do research before going to Japan. Although I’m told like Korea, young people don’t care but bathhouses are sanctuaries for older people so I get that they live by a different set of rules.
WonderWoman 1 year ago
Entitled tourist didn't want to do the touristy thing, so rather than doing actual research just decided to wing it and got caught with his pants down.
FluffyDreg 1 year ago
I mean he DID research... he just had no fail safe. But he researched: the you shower before getting in the bath, that they'll have it for sale, that they sometimes have a bottle for communal use..... just not the language he really should have. But i don't consider that being entitled, clueless yes, but entitled is not the right word... (also your usage is technically incorrect. Saying "entitled tourist" implies they ARE infact entitled to something, that something had BEEN entitled to them. The use you want is entitled as a verb "tourist THINKS hes entitled to xxxx." But it's used a lot incorrectly, just like Karen as an insult.)
Load More Replies... Jack Burton 1 year ago
I had this experiment in Jordan without speaking arabic but people were really helpful, smiling and even if i was not sure about how to act it was an enjoyable experiment. Japanese culture has a lot of wonderful parts but it's so shame inducing if you don't know exactly how to act.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
Arthur Dent and his seatmate aggressively ate the entire packet of biscuits. When Arthur Dent eats a biscuit, it stays eaten.
Matthew Jameson 1 year ago
I once went to an Asian massage parlor in NYC to help relieve my back pain. The old lady at the front desk kept asking me "you wanna moon key glease?" over and over, until one of the girls told me she was asking if I "wanted my monkey greased." I most certainly did not. 😁
Lu 1 year ago
As an Asian person who’s somewhat familiar with certain expectations shall we call it - I would still have to do research before going to Japan. Although I’m told like Korea, young people don’t care but bathhouses are sanctuaries for older people so I get that they live by a different set of rules.
WonderWoman 1 year ago
Entitled tourist didn't want to do the touristy thing, so rather than doing actual research just decided to wing it and got caught with his pants down.
FluffyDreg 1 year ago
I mean he DID research... he just had no fail safe. But he researched: the you shower before getting in the bath, that they'll have it for sale, that they sometimes have a bottle for communal use..... just not the language he really should have. But i don't consider that being entitled, clueless yes, but entitled is not the right word... (also your usage is technically incorrect. Saying "entitled tourist" implies they ARE infact entitled to something, that something had BEEN entitled to them. The use you want is entitled as a verb "tourist THINKS hes entitled to xxxx." But it's used a lot incorrectly, just like Karen as an insult.)
Load More Replies...
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