Every autumn and winter, some Japanese bathhouses fill their pools with bright red apples.

At first glance, it seems like a playful tradition. In fact, it is another example of the Japanese habit of celebrating the changing seasons through bathing.

The custom is most closely associated with Aomori, Japan's largest apple-growing region. As the harvest comes to an end, local bathhouses celebrate the fruit that has shaped the area's identity for generations, filling baths with fresh apples that float gently across the surface of the water.

Apple baths are also said to leave the skin feeling soft and refreshed, thanks to the fruit's natural acids. Whether that's why people visit or not, there's something undeniably cheerful about stepping into a bath filled with floating apples.

Like yuzu baths in winter, apple baths are a reminder that Japanese bathing is often about more than simply relaxing. It is another way of noticing the seasons, celebrating local produce and finding small moments of joy in the changing year.

Every season brings a new way to bathe.

Join the Yū mailing list for more Journal articles exploring the seasonal rituals, traditions and bathing culture inspiring Britain's first Japanese-inspired bathhouse.