To all Japanese/Asians....

[PopCulturePooka]

I think they make themselves less obvious these days as well though.

A night in clubs and abrs around Shibuya means I talk to enough guys taht I have rather large suspicions about.

So......you wouldn't go to hot springs and/or public bath houses? You wouldn't shower with your spouse?

To extend on Sgt Peppers.
I quite LIKE bathing/showering with girlfriends and the like. A lot of fun to be had there.

But things like gyms, bath-houses, onsens etc.
Nope sir can't do it.
I'm far far too body concious for that type of stuff.

I'm the kinda dork that showers facing the wall if I MUST shower in communal (men only places).

 

[Martialartsnovice]

@Bob in Iowa,

I probably would have reacted the same way as you, I dont mind the public showers, but if a guy started bathing me, i probably would not leave with out a few scratches on me. I played football, on my highschool team, it always seemed strange, when the other guys would come out to the main room, with their junk hangin out for the world to view. I found that aspect of public bathing very vulgar. But thats just the way,I've been raised by my folks.

P.S.

Hey, dont get me wrong, Im not condeming people who take baths with their girlfriends, or wives. If they choose to do that, more power to them, for their choices.

 

[mad pierrot]

This is almost a new thread...

"Westerners and social ethics on nudity."

 

[Eternal Wind]

Have you even been stared at when you change in a public swimming pool changing room? It's like being stared at in an onsen....

Haha,I think it's kinda natural form humans to stare and admire at each others body or way of changing...can't help it really...I also do that.

Did u noticed that even you yourself does that?

 

[Bob in Iowa]

And is it just me....

or do there seem to be less and less yakuza these days?
Heh, I know the papers say less Japanese people are willing to join now, but it also seems like people who were in Japan say, 20-30 years ago have a ton of yakuza stories, compared to the far and few that surface now.

Mad Pierrot, I'm certainly no authority on the yakuza, and I haven't spent any time in Japan since 1978, other than a short visit, so I really don't have a clue about the yakuza these days. I just remember that they were a pretty common sight, especially at night, in the area near Yokota Air Base. You could spot them in groups in town or driving around in T-Birds and Lincoln Continentals. They never really bothered anyone that I knew of, other than their own business associates when there was a dispute over turf or money. I recall that the ones whom I met were pretty straight up guys, aside from being involved in underworld activity, and they showed respect to those from whom they received respect.

 

[sgt. Pepper]

Haha,I think it's kinda natural form humans to stare and admire at each others body or way of changing...can't help it really...I also do that.

Did u noticed that even you yourself does that?

I sure know that i don't stare at other guys crotches (crotch/crotches...is that spelled right? :/)

 

[BrennaCeDria]

I believe it would be "guys' crotches".

 

[sgt. Pepper]

Oh, i'm so terribly sorry.

 

[mad pierrot]

I recall that the ones whom I met were pretty straight up guys, aside from being involved in underworld activity, and they showed respect to those from whom they received respect.

That's pretty much the impression I've got from listening to other gaijin's experience and my own.. except from my Japanese friends. One of my friends who lived in Kobe told me how he once got a construction type job from the yakuza and got stiffed. He doesn't like them much, but he says Kobe was pretty quiet in the neighborhood were the big boss lived. (One of the yamaguchigumi guys, he just died, I think. Some one posted an article from the Mainichi about it.)

 

[Martialartsnovice]

hey, about the public shower posts, I understand that its a part of Japans culture.

But I dont understand how it came about, is it a tradition from days gone by or what.

 

[lexico]

hey, about the public shower posts, I understand that its a part of Japans culture.

But I don't understand how it came about, is it a tradition from days gone by or what.

I believe the public bath house was a European invention, continuously improved upon past the industrial revolution into the modern era. Public swimming pools also grew out of those public baths.

Information on public baths, bath houses, and public swimming pools does not seem to give this very interesting set of topics good, balanced coverage.

There is no mention of the religious aspect of taking baths; Judaism, Hinduism, and the ancient religion of Qatar and Mohenjodaro of the Indus valley all appear to have emphasised ritual cleanliness, as did the Confucians.

There is no mention of how bath houses might be related to the military facilities or industrial cities. How the idea of public health gave rise to gymnasiums and bathing facilities is also absent.

 

[MajideSaiaku]

I dont even like using urinals in public bathrooms, let alone showring with other people, im just a private person, go figure.

Yes i do shower with my S/O sometimes but then again, this is the person who i share my body and soul with, its hardly the same thing as strangers staring and judging your body :S.

 

[Kinsao]

If I was going to use a public bath place in Japan, I might feel a bit nervous the first time in case I wasn't understanding properly the 'etiquette' and did something not acceptable (well, I can't think what but...! humm, something perhaps like being too surprised if someone offer to wash my back, maybe?! ). I am a bit too uninhibited in such things compared to my English friends, I think. I really don't think at all about undressing for a shower in a public shower/changing room for example after gym, because it is a women's changing room after all and it bothers me not the slightest. (Even one time there was a guy there - it was a busy time - I didn't even notice! I just remember thinking he seemed kind of quiet, and only afterwards it occurred to me he was in the women's room! )

Maybe I would feel differently in Japan, though, because I would look 'western', perhaps if people were markedly staring it might be a bit disconcerting? But I'm sure I'd know it's just my appearence as westerner rather than my abnormally large breasts or beaded pubic hair... (yeah, I am kidding ).

 

[lexico]

If I was going to use a public bath place in Japan, I might ... something not acceptable ... something perhaps like being too surprised if someone offer to wash my back, maybe ?!

Well just make sure they do a good job or slap 'em in the back with a snappy, cold, stiff, wet towel at a good arm's length ! *whack*

I am a bit too uninhibited in such things compared to my English friends, I think. I really don't think at all about undressing for a shower in a public shower/changing room for example after gym, because it is a women's changing room after all and it bothers me not the slightest. (Even one time there was a guy there - it was a busy time - I didn't even notice! I just remember thinking he seemed kind of quiet, and only afterwards it occurred to me he was in the women's room! )

Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was a guy ? And are you sure "he" was in the girls' room, not you in the guy's room ?

perhaps if people were markedly staring it might be a bit disconcerting ?

My you have a way of making it sound like nothing !

 

[Kinsao]

Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was a guy ?

Without having him genetically tested, there is no way I will ever know for definite..............

And are you sure "he" was in the girls' room, not you in the guy's room ?

On that occasion, yes, I was in the girls' room. I will say no more on that subject!

My you have a way of making it sound like nothing !

What, you mean being stared at? Well, in the UK that sort of thing has honestly never bothered me in the slightest. But of course, I'm quite prepared to admit that I may feel differently in Japanese bath house.

Oh yes, and I am not accepting inferior back-washing, not in the slightest.

 

[Kara_Nari]

In New Zealand, I only ever showered with my boyfriend, except for when very young and would bath with my brother and sister.
I was against JimJilBang (Korean style sauna) because of the whole 'getting naked' thing. Then one day I went to a quiet beach with my friend and her husband, she too had never been, it wasnt busy, so we just showered, agreed not to look at eachother and all was well. Since getting over the shyness, I now no longer care.
The only time I have heard people talk about me was once when I was by myself and I had a REALLY bad sunburn and VERY white lines from my bikini. Also I have two tattoos, so I did cause a bit of a spectacle, but nobody was mean, they just said "Ooh she's so burnt! Look how white she was before! She has a tattoo that says 'angel'" and thats about it.
In Japan I went to onsen with my friend, and she ran off first... I didnt want to seem like I was staring at everyone trying to find my friend, so I just plodded along by myself, until eventually we found eachother.

 

[MajideSaiaku]

I've got no problem changing infront of folk, i'll happily get down to just my boxers if i have to but, that whoel naked thing, in the very privacy of the ritual of washing one-self?, *shudders* lol

I guess its just because ever since ive been old enough to do it myself ive had baths and showers by myself and just prefer the quiet privacy of it, quite often ill just tsand in the shower and cross my arms and let the water fall on me, very calming and theraputic, when there's only the four walls of the bathroom, and the sound of water falling on your head.

So yeah, anyway, it took alot of effort just to open up and share that with my girlfriend, but i love her and my privacy durring bathing is important to me, so you can emagine how much i care to let her into my own little private world.

But saying that, she's shaved me before, ive applied that nose patch thing.

Thatsa beautiful thing in a relationship, doing these kinda things together, it helps the bonding, after all, monkeys groom each other, us humans are like big intelligent monkeys, stands to reason we can groom each other.


Back on topic of public bathing, i must admit apart from the whole, getting naked infront of other people, im quite comfortable with it and actually fancy the idea of a japanese onsen or whatever its called (dont attack me, im not as japan-smart as some people!) and yeah, nout wrong with public bathing.

Its just the whole getting naked thing.

 

[nice gaijin]

When my friend and I went to an Onsen in Osaka we were quite literally the only non-japanese in the building. We surely got some stares, but no one actively avoided us or was aggressive towards us; we were regarded as normal patrons that doubled as a curious spectacle. Not uncomfortable at all. I have no idea why one would think that it'd be uncomfortable for a Japanese person to be naked in front of other Japanese people...