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The are many forms of having baths together between men and women in Japan.
When a family take baths together, it's called Kazokuburo .
Kashikiriburo" is used for a group of people who know or are familiar with each other.
And Konyokuburo means "public bathing" which means that you may have a bath with completely strange people.
The location for bathing may be inside or outside.
Normally, the Japanese like taking baths outside or even in the nature,
Where they can be relaxed and enjoy the nature.
Having baths inside is common in houses or hotels,
or in places that have no sources of natural water.
Thanks to volcanic faults, Japan is abundant in hot water,
with more than 150 thermal underground springs and 1.400 streams all around the nation.
Because of the harsh weather in winter,
the form of having dips in hot water is very popular here.
People have to carefully clean their bodies before getting into baths or lakes,,
Having a dip in hot water is believed to help your body healthier.
Having baths together is a custom with a long history,
and has become a traditional and cultural feature.
This was strongly developed under the system "Tokugawa" in the past,
popular from crowded cities to deserted areas.
the first bathroom for men and women having baths together appeared in 1591,
And they became popular in Edo, which is Tokyo nowadays.
in Japan, there is a saying that "*** in three house, having baths three times"
Which tells us about the Japanese people's popular customs and hobbies.
Edo at that time is crowded with residents, especially businessmen,
To respond to the high demand of bathing in such a crowded place,
They open lots of bathroom for everyone to have baths together regardless of genders,
However, because of the introduction of the western culture,
this cultural feature has got less and less popular,
People are now still able to have baths together but in separate areas for men and women,
But for 5 years up to now, it's got popular again,
The time when most people rush to facilities for bathing is after 9pm
When they finish work and can be relaxed after a hard day.
People taking part in having baths together usually take with them only a small towel,
To cover their bodies when sitting or walk around.
But it's not important because actually no one cares and you don't have to be shy,
The Japanese think that getting in the water with underwear in public places is not clean,
and it can make the water dirty, especially in pure hot springs.
Having baths together healthily and politely demand that everyone has to behave properly,
Some foreigners may not clearly know Japanese customs and habits
or intendedly have impolite actions. Some incidents have been happening.
So sometimes, there may be some limits for foreigners in bathing facilities in order to prevent any rude and bad behaviors.