Winter is one of the most popular times to visit a Japanese bathhouse.

In Japan, the changing seasons are something to be appreciated rather than endured, and bathing is no exception. Winter offers an experience that simply isn't possible at any other time of year.

The contrast between cold air and hot water is one of the great pleasures of winter bathing, whether moving between a sauna and cold plunge or sinking into an outdoor bath as steam rises into the crisp air, all while the surrounding landscape takes on the colours and atmosphere of winter. In snowy parts of Japan, people even have a name for the experience: yukimi-buro, or "snow-viewing baths.

Many bathhouses also embrace the season with special traditions. Around the winter solstice, baths filled with fragrant yuzu are thought to bring good health through the colder months, while seasonal food and warm drinks complete the experience.

Like cherry blossom in spring or apple baths in autumn, winter bathing is another reminder that in Japan, the seasons aren't simply observed. They're celebrated.

Every season changes the bath.

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