Japanese Ritual Bathing

The bathing ritual found in Japan is different in many ways from other cultures and their bathing rituals. Emphasis is placed on the elements that inspire the desire for relaxation, water, the element that has made this cultural bathing ritual unique.




The Japanese during ancient times had the belief that water held the memories of the different interactions it made with the natural earth. They found the natural hot springs and rushing waters to be most effective in cleansing their mind and spirit. Onsen is when you visit the mountain and coastal springs and enjoy their scolding waters that emerge from nature. Resorts have been formed around these springs since the ancient times.



The movement of the water is one of the ultimate inspirations that the Japanese embraced when cleansing their spirit. All of the senses are intrigued during the bathing ritual. The Japanese took this to the level where they respect the water and its ability to relax and cleanse them.

Japanese view the bathing process as something where you shower off and actually wash yourself before you enter the bath. The bath is ultimately for relaxation, enveloping the water to cleanse you spiritually. Typically you soak in the water for about thirty minutes to an hour with the water raised up to neck level. The temperature of the water is extremely hot and only goes as hot as you can bare it before any burning of the skin occurs. The water remains in the tub for several people to cleanse themselves instead of emptying the water between each bather.




Sources:
Google Book Preview
Spiritual Bathing
By Rosita Arvigo, Nadine Epstein
www.driftwood.ie/kanji.html
www.flickr.com
www.hairboutique.com


Furniture Fashion
www.furniturestoreblog.com/2007/09/25/ofuro_baths_japan ese_soaking_tub.html
www.yurakuan.com/e_web/english.html


Codes

ADA Standards for Accessible Design

Wheelchair Passage Widths
• Minimal width for wheelchair passage at any point is 32” but for continuous width 36” minimal
• For two wheelchairs to pass 60” is required
• 60” of clear space is required for wheelchairs to make a 180 degree turn
• the minimal clear floor space required for a stationary wheelchair is 30” by 48”
• passage for one wheelchair and one person to pass in a passage way is 48”

Ramps
• Ramp slopes between 1:16 and 1:20
• A ramp with a slope of 1:12 for 30’ is hard to manage for any person.
• Levels landings are essential

Floor Surfaces
• Wheelchairs move easier on hard, stable, and regular surfaces
• The Transportation Barriers Compliance Board recommends that a regular walking surface should have a static coefficient of friction of 0.5 and a coefficient of 0.8 for ramps

http://www.ada.gov/reg3a.html#Anchor-Appendix-52467