The English translation is below
前回は、湯船の体へのメリットを挙げましたが、今回は心編からです♬
②心へのメリット
⭐︎ぬるめの温度が自律神経に働きかけ
副交感神経が優位になるリラックス♪
温泉もイベント的な魅力があっていいのですが
私にとっては熱すぎてゆっくりできません
他人もいて落ち着かないので、リラックスするなら
やっぱり自宅のお風呂ですね〜
⭐︎浮力によって筋肉の緊張がほぐれると
脳に、安全だという信号が送られリラックス♪
湯船に浸かった時、思わず漏れる「あ゛〜〜」という
絞り出すような吐息の正体はコレなんです！経験ありますかっ⁈
私も毎日は言ってないですけど、たまに出ちゃいますね
「あ゛」なんて文字、50音には無いですが、湯船での心の底から響く
「あ」は絶対「あ゛〜〜」です。あの完全に力が抜けて
息がそのまま漏れた状態は、むしろ濁点無しでは表せません
ぜひぜひみなさんにも体験して欲しい瞬間です
そして、お風呂の心と体への効果をブーストするのが
入浴剤です！
コレはウチの近くのドラッグストアで撮った写真なのですが
2枚撮っても入浴剤コーナーが全部入り切りませんでした
この品揃えを見れば、日本人にとって湯船に入るのがいかに当たり前か
が分かると思います。たまに楽しむ嗜好品、ではなく日用品に近いです
ウチでも炭酸ガス系のタブレットや、地方の温泉の雰囲気を楽しめる
粉タイプの入浴剤を入れています♪ 柚子の季節は丸ごと入れて
香りも楽しみます。天然モノの血行促進効果は半端ないですよ！
入浴剤は単なる「香り付け」や「色付け」だけではなくて、温熱効果を
さらに高めたり、保湿成分が肌に浸透して乾燥を防いでくれます
湯船が、体全体のスキンケア・ターイム♪
柚子湯に入るカピバラ。目がうっとりしてません？
⭐︎創造性にもいい
湯船でリラックスして、ぼーっとしていると脳が
デフォルトモードになるんですね。何もしてない時に働く脳の回路で
記憶の整理やアイディアの組み合わせが行われるんです
昼間、誰かと俳優の話かなんかした時に、顔は分かるんだけど
お互い、その名前が出てこない時ってありますよね
でも思い出すのって、いつもお風呂入ってる時なんですよ！
無理に思い出そうとするより、ちょっと手放した時が
脳に余白ができるんでしょうね。いい考えを思いつくのも
お風呂の中が多い気がします。
私はお風呂には寝る前に入るので、1日のまとめのような時間です。
外部情報が減って、集中が解けて…って
この時間、現代ではかなり貴重だと思いませんか？
リラックス効果をさらに高めるために、お風呂で音楽を流すのも好きです
防水Bluetoothスピーカーとスマホを繋いで、ヒーリング音楽を聴いています
時々J-POPも聴きたくなって流すと、浴室はカラオケルームに変わります（笑）
ひと月程前に『日本人と桜』みたいな記事を書いたとき、桜ソングが聴きたくなって
お風呂で熱唱してました♬ 浴室は音響も良くて、歌も上手く聞こえます！
⭐︎睡眠の質が上がる
寝る前にお風呂に入れば、体温が上がり、その後ゆっくり下がることによって
自然に眠くなり、短い時間でも質の高い睡眠を得られます
私の両親は、私ほどお風呂好きではないですが、私につられて
毎日ちゃんと入っています。ですがたまに、
「今日は面倒くさいからやめようかな」と
くじけそうになる時もあります。でも、そんな時はこう語りかけます
「今までお風呂に入った後に、『やっぱり入んなきゃよかった』って、
後悔したことある？」
すると
「・・・無い」と返ってきます
納得して浴室へ向かう後ろ姿を見るのは、迷える子羊を救った気分です
正しい道に戻し、無事、お風呂に導くことができました⭐︎
もしこういうお風呂を体験したくなったら、日本に宿泊する際は
豪華な5つ星ホテルではなく、アパートメントホテルや、最新の
ビシネスホテルあたりに泊まってみて下さい
あのパネルが壁に付いていますよ！
そして湯船に浸かって「あ゛〜〜」という、力の抜け切った
ちょっとだらしない幸福感を味わってください🎵
お風呂無しでいられない人が増えれば、世界は変わるはずです
ちなみにこの記事で、ブログを始めて100記事となりました！
次回は、記念すべき100記事を書き終えての、いろいろと
思うところを綴りたいと思います
Last time, I talked about the physical benefits of soaking in a bath.
But this time, let’s move on to the mental benefits♬
② Benefits for the Mind
⭐︎ Warm — but not too hot — water helps regulate the autonomic nervous system and activates the parasympathetic system, putting your body into relaxation mode♪
Hot springs are wonderful too, of course.
They have a special charm and feel almost like an event or little adventure.
But for me personally, the water is often too hot to relax in properly
And with other people around, I can’t fully unwind either.
So when it comes to true relaxation…
for me, nothing beats a bath at home
⭐︎ When buoyancy helps release tension in your muscles, your brain receives signals that you’re safe — and that naturally helps you relax♪
And that is the true identity of the involuntary
“Ahhhhh…” 😮💨
that slips out when you sink into a hot bath.
Have you ever experienced it?!
I don’t do it every single day either, but sometimes it just comes out naturally.
Interestingly, Japanese doesn’t officially have a character like “A゛” with quotation marks and voicing marks attached…
but when that sound comes from the deepest part of your soul in the bathtub, it is absolutely “A゛〜〜”
A normal “ah” simply cannot express that completely melted, fully relaxed state where all your strength leaves your body and your breath just spills out on its own.
Honestly, it almost requires the extra voicing marks.
It’s one of those little moments I truly want everyone to experience at least once
And the thing that boosts both the mental and physical benefits of bathing even further… is bath additives
I took these photos at a drugstore near my home, and even with two pictures, I still couldn’t fit the entire bath additive section into the frame
Just looking at this selection tells you how normal and essential soaking in a bathtub is for Japanese people.
Bath additives are not really treated as an occasional luxury item here — they’re closer to everyday necessities.
At my house, we use fizzy carbonated tablets as well as powder-type bath additives that recreate the atmosphere of famous hot springs from different regions of Japan♪
And during yuzu season, we even throw whole yuzu fruits directly into the bath to enjoy the fragrance.
The circulation-boosting effect of the natural oils is incredible!
Bath additives aren’t just for adding color or fragrance, either.
Many of them enhance the warming effect of the bath or contain moisturizing ingredients that help protect the skin from dryness.
The bathtub becomes a full-body skincare tiiiime♪
And look at this capybara enjoying a yuzu bath…
Doesn’t it look completely blissed out?
⭐︎ Baths are also great for creativity♪
When you relax and simply zone out in the bathtub, your brain shifts into what’s called “default mode.”
That’s the brain network that becomes active when you’re not focused on a specific task — the mode where memories get organized and ideas begin connecting in unexpected ways.
You know those moments when you’re talking with someone about an actor or celebrity, and both of you clearly recognize the face… but neither of you can remember the name?
And then somehow… you suddenly remember it while sitting in the bath.
I think it’s because the answer often comes after you stop forcing yourself to remember.
When you let go a little, the brain finally has room to breathe.
Honestly, I feel like many of my best ideas also appear in the bathtub
Since I usually bathe before going to bed, bath time becomes a kind of “daily wrap-up” for me.
The outside noise fades away, concentration loosens, and my mind slowly untangles itself…
And in modern life, don’t you think this kind of quiet mental space has become incredibly precious?
To make bath time even more relaxing, I also love listening to music in the tub♪
I connect my phone to a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and play healing music while soaking in the bath.
…Although sometimes I suddenly feel like listening to J-pop instead
And once that happens, the bathroom instantly transforms into a karaoke room.
About a month ago, when I was writing an article about “Japanese People and Cherry Blossoms,” I got in the mood for cherry blossom songs and ended up passionately singing in the bath♬
Bathrooms actually have great acoustics, too.
They make your singing sound much better than it probably really is .
⭐︎ Better sleep quality
Taking a bath before bed raises your body temperature, and as it slowly cools afterward, your body naturally becomes sleepy.
That process can help you get deeper, higher-quality sleep — even if you don’t sleep for very long.
My parents aren’t quite as obsessed with baths as I am, but thanks to my influence, they both take proper baths every day now
Still, every once in a while, one of them will say:
“I’m too tired today… maybe I’ll just skip the bath.”
And whenever that happens, I ask them one simple question:
“Have you ever gotten out of a bath and thought,
‘Man… I really shouldn’t have taken that bath’?”
And after a brief silence, the answer is always:
“…No.”
Once they realize this truth, they quietly head toward the bathroom.
And watching their backs as they walk away feels a little like I’ve just saved a lost sheep and guided it back onto the proper path
The mission is complete.
Another soul has been safely led to the bath. ⭐︎
If this kind of bath experience has started to sound tempting to you, then when you visit Japan, don’t just aim for a luxurious five-star hotel.
Try staying at an apartment hotel or one of Japan’s newer business hotels instead.
There’s a very good chance you’ll find that control panel attached to the bathroom wall
And then, sink into the bathtub and experience that completely melted, slightly undignified feeling of happiness that escapes as:
“A゛〜〜…” 😮💨
Please enjoy that moment to the fullest🎵
If more people fall in love with soaking in bathtubs, I’m convinced bath culture will spread across the world
And by the way — with this article, I’ve officially reached my 100th blog post!
Next time, I’d like to write about the thoughts and feelings I’ve had after reaching this little milestone and finishing article number 100.
