OSAKA BATH ROOM LUXURIES -JAPAN JOURNEY

BLOG POST 3

Finally we reached Shin-Osaka Esaka Tokyu REI Hotel

Whenever we travel anywhere in India or abroad I sincerely try to travel very light but somehow end up lugging heavy suitcases which become heavier day by day with what little  things we buy as we tend to mostly do window shopping

When we went to New Zealand we found many Australian couples on tour breezing around happily with dainty suitcases ,one fine day to satisfy my mounting curiosity I asked one of them what they were doing with their abundant purchases and she said they were sending everything home by post, but for us this would cost more than our shopping expenses ,so I didn’t even dare to suggest it to my husband

On reaching the hotel, from the van we had to lug our suitcases to the hotel which had a display board,

We found to our surprise many shops and stalls .

We could  finally access via an escalator our hotel which was in first floor .

Lobby area was very spacious but had very little seating.

There was a money exchange machine in the lobby and newspaper vending machine too

The front desk staff  were very courteous and with help of our guide’s translational skills, we took our room keys and went to our rooms

As this was our first hotel in Japan and the country was supposed to be thickly populated, I was curious about our room and its facilities .

Room was of average size, usual standard toiletries to meet our needs were kept in large containers and were of a very good quality

The beds were placed at a lower level, were clean, very firm and comfortable with a ''wheat'' pillow.

 Drinks and snacks vending machines could be seen in each floor .

There were ice machines too

The bathroom area was made up of two parts- the powder room and the toilet area with individual doors

The toilets in Japan need a special mention .The word toire is an abbreviated form of "toilet" and plain word for toilet is benjo , place of convenience or place of excrement.

There are two styles of toilets commonly found in Japan, the oldest type is a simple squat toilet, which is still common in public places.

The current state of art western type toilets are the bidet type ,commonly called wash lets and include many advanced features

After World war II modern western type flush toilets became common in Japan
The feature set commonly found on wash lets are anal hygiene, bidet washing, seat warming, and deodorization.

Japanese toilets are well known in popular culture and often parodied in comedic works set in Japan.

 While our toilet looked like a Western-style toilet at first glance, there were numerous additional features such as blow dryer, seat heating, massage options, water jet adjustments, automatic lid opening and automatic flushing, 

Generally these features are accessed by a control panel attached to the seat or mounted on a nearby wall.

The most basic feature is the integrated bidet, a nozzle the size of a pencil that comes out from underneath the toilet seat and squirts water.

 It has two settings: one for washing the anus and one for the bidet. The former is called posterior wash, general use, or family cleaning, and the latter is known as feminine cleaning, feminine wash or simply bidet.

 At no point does the nozzle actually touch the body of the user. The nozzle is also self-cleaning and cleans itself before and after operation. The user can select to wash the anus or vulva  by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel.

 Usually the same nozzle is used for both operations, but at a different position of the nozzle head, and using different openings in the nozzle to squirt water at a different angle to aim for the correct spot. Occasionally, two nozzles are used, each dedicated for one area. The control logic is also attached to a pressure switch or a proximity sensor in the toilet seat, and operates only when the seat is occupied.

 Most high-tech toilets allow water temperature and water pressure to be adjusted to match the preferences of the user. By default, the vulva receives less pressure than the anus. Researchers in Japan have found that most users prefer a water temperature slightly above body temperature, with 38 °C considered optimal.

 The nozzle position can also often be manually adjusted forward or aft. High-end wash lets allow selection of vibrating and pulsating jets of water, claimed by manufacturers to be beneficial for constipation and hemorrhoids otherwise known as piles.

 The most advanced wash lets can mix the water jet with soap for an improved cleaning process.

 Another frequent feature is a blow dryer, often adjustable between 40 °C and 60 °C, used to dry the washed areas

Other features may include a heated seat specially useful in cold weather, an automatic lid equipped with a proximity sensor, which opens and closes based on the location of the user and an air dryer and deodorizer. Some play music to relax the user's sphincter 

Recently, researchers have added medical sensors into these toilets, which can measure the blood sugar based on the urine, and also measure the pulse, blood pressure, and the body fat content of the user.

In Japanese culture, there is a tendency to separate areas into  clean  and  unclean, and the contact between these areas is minimized. Inside of the house is considered a clean area, whereas the outside of the house is considered unclean.

 To keep the two areas separated, shoes are taken off before entering the house so that the unclean shoes do not touch the clean area inside of the house. Historically, toilets were located outside of the house a feature which was very common in India too previously and shoes were worn for a trip to the toilet.

Nowadays, the toilet is almost always inside the home and hygienic conditions have improved significantly, but the toilet is still considered an unclean area in Japan

To minimize contact between the unclean toilet floor and the clean floor in the rest of the house, many private homes and also some public toilets have toilet slippers in front of the toilet door that should be used when in the toilet and removed immediately after leaving the toilet.

Both the sink, toilet, and bath are in separate rooms. The sink is usually in a small changing area connected to the bathroom that also has the washing machine, while the toilet is completely separate.

Ofuro is an important part of the lifestyle of the Japanese, who after a long day's work come home looking forward to relaxing and warming themselves in wooden bathtubs.

 This ritual, which does not seek to cleanse the body but the mind, was already put in practise by the Egyptians, who 5,000 years ago had discovered the benefits of this type of bathing.

In Japan, baths are normally taken in three different places: the Ofuro, ( own house), the Sento, (Japanese communal baths) and the Onsen (Japanese hot springs).

Ofuro is the most common form of bathing in Japan, as more Japanese can afford to have a bathtub at home.

In Japan, families bathe in order. The eldest and male members go first. In a typical family, the order would be first the grandfather, then the father, the son, the grandmother, the mother and lastly, the daughter.

In the bathing area there is a shower hose or a bucket of water with which to rinse. On the bathroom floor, next to the bathtub, there is usually a stool where one can sit down to lather their hair and body. And then, only when they have rinsed their whole body, can they enter the bathtub.

It is essential to wash thoroughly before entering the bath, as this is where all members of the family bathe and must be kept clean.

Modern Ofuro bathtubs have temperature control.

Their design is rectangular and they measure about 60 to 70 cms and are deeper than western bath tubs.

The water in the Ofuro is usually around 40 degrees. This high temperature helps the body relax and keep warm, and this is why they normally bathe before going to bed, as they believe it helps fall asleep and removes the stress from the body.

Since the new bathtubs have a temperature control, it helps save water, as it can be kept warm. Depending on its use, water can be reused for days. In large families, where parents and children take daily baths, the baths are usually refilled once or twice a week

The Japanese are extremely conscious of wasting water and use an innovative system to recycle the water they discard from their bathtubs. After the water is no longer useful for their baths, they connect their tubs to a washing machine and use this water to wash their clothes.

Our bath room had a control panel which needed a lot of figuring out, there were buttons for keeping the bath water at a consistent temperature and temperature selection for the shower heads too as well as a multitude of other functions.

In residential houses these panels exist in kitchen too so that one can control the bath from the kitchen

Modern, hi-tech bathrooms have different fan settings which include cold and hot air, so clothes dry really quickly if one hangs them up in the bathroom and put the fan on.

LUNCH IN IZUMISANO ,ON THE WAY TO OSAKA -JAPAN JOURNEY

As we were speeding towards Osaka, I was talking to my guide about Japan, she was around 35 and looked 25; apparently she was not married and had an affair, but broke it off as it was too much of an effort. A growing number of Japanese women are now postponing or forgoing marriage, as they want to escape domestic drudgery.
The percentage of women who work in Japan is higher than ever, yet cultural norms have not caught up, and Japanese wives and mothers are still typically expected to bear the brunt of the housework, child care, and help their aging relatives.
So they are increasingly opting out of marriage altogether, focusing on their work and newfound freedom.
Statistics reveal that in 2015, one in seven women remained unmarried by 50 years; in women aged 35 to 39, the percentage was even higher.
At present, the norms have changed so much that businesses cater to single women in particular. There are single karaoke salons featuring women-only zones, restaurants designed for solo diners, and apartment complexes that target women looking to buy or rent homes on their own. Travel companies book tours for single women, and photo studios offer sessions in which women can don wedding dresses and pose for solo bridal portraits.

Our guide said, shrugging her pretty shoulders, "When I have a good job and am enjoying my life, why should I get married?" I tried to give a covert, meaningful glance at my husband and the other two male members, as we came from a country where the norm for single women is still a novelty, but they conveniently were pretending to be admiring the landscape around us. LOL !
I felt that if this is the mood of women inspite of some men wanting to pitch in and help more, employees are still expected to devote most of their waking hours to the company, making it difficult for many husbands to participate much on the home front; no wonder the birth rate was declining.
We stopped at a place called Izumisano for lunch.

The restaurant was very small almost like an Indian dhaba.

There were frames of Indian idols on the walls along with an elephant figurine outside.

We sat down at the tables; only we  two were non vegetarians and the other two couples were vegetarians
Immediately, neatly packed yellow towels were placed before us , we were told they were oshibori. These were hot towels offered to clean our hands.

The practice of offering a wet cloth to guests apparently dates back to the Heian period in Japan, when households would provide a wet cloth for visitors to clean their hands before entering the home. I was reminded of our Indian custom of washing the feet and hands with water kept in a bucket before stepping into a house.
Throughout our travel in Japan, we found these towels hot when it was cold and cold when the weather was hot. Some places had special herbal-smelling towels and were invariably pristine white.

We were supposed to unwrap the little white towel, use it carefully to wipe hands, and place it against our eyes or temple to refresh before the meal. Luckily, we were used to getting these towels on a few airline flights and so managed this ritual gracefully enough.
We were given menu cards with the items printed on them and prices given; this lunch we had to pay and the travel agency would be giving us the rest of the meals till we returned. Though we were forewarned that Japan was a costly country, we reeled under the shock of the bill for rice and chicken curry.

Our guide and driver were having their Japanese food and using the chopsticks very dexterously. Around 25 billion pairs of Waribashi (disposable chopsticks) are used in Japan each year, equivalent to the timber needed to build 17,000 homes.

 I found them loudly slurping their soup and found out that it indicated their appreciation for the soup
I came out of the restaurant and saw to my surprise , delicious food items displayed in glass cases outside. I was wondering why intricate food bowls were displayed, which would invariably perish and have to be thrown away at the end of the day.

This, I came to know, was sampuru or “sample,” This waxy, fake food being made of vinyl resin and silicone has been around for nearly 100 years and, over time, has evolved beyond restaurant windows.

This plastic food is exquisitely created in Tokyo in a place called Kappabashi; in fact those samples are very costly.

A simple cup of green tea is 3,600 yen and a single Onigiri rice ball is 7,000 yen. Full main dishes go up into the equivalent of hundreds of dollars, like 52,600 yen for a platter of sushi for four.

Wherever we travelled in Japan, we found these Sampura displayed, and we found it very easy to select a piece and ask for that item.

THE LAND OF THE RISING FUN - JAPAN JOURNEY

JAPAN HERE WE COME: BLOG POST 1
Since a very long time I had been dreaming of seeing Japan which for me meant pretty cherry blossoms, beautiful gardens, graceful Ikebana, colorful kimonos, intricate handheld ivory fans and a famous Hindi song  from the movie "Love in Tokyo."
Finally the day came and we booked for a combined tour to China and Japan through SOTC last June
We had to fly out of Beijing to Kansai International Airport.
Once the security was done, we happily roamed around in the Beijing airport. I noticed a lot of  Chinese school kids with backpacks and passports in their hands very sincerely following their group leaders

When the call came for us to get into the Air China flight, we got in, and as we were settling down, we suddenly realized that we had forgotten our small laptop and dongle in the tray while going through the security check.
It always is better that we remain very alert while going through the security checks, as we literally have to strip ourselves during the check. If only we had realized before getting into the flight ,but alas, it was not to be! We consoled ourselves that it was a very old one.
Kansai International Airport is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay about 40 km from central Osaka where our hotel was booked.
Like dozens of airports already built on land reclaimed from water, since it opened in 1994, Kansai has sunk 38 feet, a thought that was quite scary as we stepped off the plane after a six-and-a-half-hour flight.

Kansai International Airport is the world's first offshore airport and is built on a completely man-made island. With multiple 4,000-meter-long runways, it meets the global standards of a truly 24-hour operational airport. It handles flights connecting 23 countries and 82 cities, 194.6 regular service flights per day, and roughly 28 million travelers per year.

The immigration and customs clearance process was quite fast and efficient and we could see that most of the tourists were Chinese coming for a holiday to Japan.

There were trains from the airport along with shuttle services and cabs
As we came out, our lady guide and a middle-aged male driver were waiting for us. As soon as they saw us they bowed. We found that bowing is the way of greeting for the Japanese. We were then guided to the currency exchange counter; 1 Japanese Yen equals  0.71  Indian rupees.

We were a group of 3 couples, one from Mumbai, the other from Chennai and we both from Hyderabad; all of us had traveled vastly, and one couple from Mumbai was seeing Japan for the second time after nearly 30 years.
The vehicle was a 10-seater Toyota Hi-Ace, which was going to be our  mode of transport throughout Japan. We put our luggage in the back and settled down for the 50-minute journey to Osaka hotel

In Japanese, the name “Japan” is Nihon or Nippon, which means “Land of the Rising Sun," as it was once believed that Japan was the first country to see the sun rise in the East in the morning
Japan consists of 6852 islands,  so it is an island nation typically referred to as an archipelago.

The four biggest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together make up about 97% of the total land area. While only 430 of those islands are inhabited, Honshu is considered the main island. The archipelago stretches about 1,869 miles, the length of the East Coast of the United States.

Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world, with men living to 81 years old and women living to almost 88 years old. The Japanese live on average four years longer than Americans.
Japan is one of the few countries in the world where the elderly outnumber the young, and twenty-one percent of the Japanese population is elderly (over the age of 65), the highest proportion in the world. There are more elderly than there are children in Japan today.

It is said that the Japanese have such a low birth rate that there are more adult diapers sold than baby diapers.
Periods between March and May and October and November are best suited for tourists as they are filled with calm days and comfortable temperatures
Spring is Japan's most famous season and is symbolized by the iconic sakura (cherry blossoms). Trees in the south begin to bloom in mid-March.

The blossom peak marches steadily north, concluding in the country’s northern reaches in May. The trees bloom for about a week in each location. As we had gone in June we had missed the sakura unfortunately.

Japanese have largely originated from Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Due to the country's “Sakoku” self-imposed embargo period, where no outsiders were allowed in the country at all, Japan has not had much migration; as a result, they are quite homogenous with little genetic influence from other places.
According to research, their skin is more resistant to aging; their porcelain skin tends to be clear and smooth and remains so for longer. As a result we often underestimate the ages of many people there
Japanese tend to be of a short stature and slim build compared to people from other parts of the world. The average height for men in Japan is 171.2 cm compared to 178.2 cm in the USA.
The Japanese face is generally longer and wider; their eyes are often bigger and angled downwards
Japanese people value harmony and uniformity; hence, when they dress up, they aim to blend in with the majority. People find it difficult to sometimes distinguish Chinese and Japanese

Plain, simple, and subtle colors are the key to typical Japanese attire. Wearing suits is very common in Japan, with white shirts and black ties.
I was surprised to see many Japanese wearing masks; this was much before the corona pandemic and found that it was the flu season, so sick or not, everybody was wearing a mask to avoid catching and spreading the virus.
As soon as we got into the van, our guide told us that seat belts were compulsory, especially on high roads.
Working hours in Japan are from 9 am to 6 pm,  they have a 5-day week and 21 days holiday in a year; however, most of the employees stay beyond their duty hours to work. Retirement age was 65 yrs
Men pay dowry to women and were supposed to provide a house for their brides.
Due to the high work pressure, diabetes is more common in Japan along with suicides.
Of all professions, doctors and lawyers are more highly paid. Men are more dominant and inherit the ancestral property.
Health insurance is 8000 yen; as the birth rate had come down drastically ,each child is given 4000 yen since last few years to encourage child births
We saw many fields  and came to know that major crops preferred and produced are rice, potato, pumpkin, onions and cabbage
We were passing by houses and, in certain places, apartments. In Japan a mansion is typically a concrete apartment/condominium complex of three or more floors. Buildings with at least five floors usually have elevators, and more modern buildings often have a main entrance with auto-lock doors.

An apāto (apartment) is the Japanese term for a two-story apartment building, usually made of wood and iron. Each housing unit is generally small, and many apāto use an elevated mezzanine or “loft” as sleeping space.

Because the structure is wooden, insulation and soundproofing tend to be poorer than in mansion apartments.
Loud TV/stereo or voice; parties, use of musical instruments; banging the doors; and showers or laundry late at night are all considered noise that may lead to troubles with neighbours.
Tatami flooring is available in some mansion and apāto properties and  others have wooden flooring

Most Japanese residential buildings do not have central heating and are very cold in the winter. Air conditioning units have modes for both cooling and heating. Electrical space heaters and standing fans are used where there is no air-conditioning.
 In winter some people sit with their legs under a kotatsu, a Japanese heated coffee table for warmth. Though it doesn’t heat the entire room, the Kotatsu provides warmth for people sitting at the table