Why Japanese people bathe with yuzu in winter

If you visit a Japanese bathhouse around the winter solstice, you may notice bright yellow citrus fruits floating in the water.

This is a yuzuyu, or yuzu bath, one of Japan's best-loved winter bathing traditions.

The custom takes place on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Traditionally, bathing with whole yuzu fruits was believed to help ward off colds, encourage good health and prepare the body for the depths of winter. Whether or not the fruit itself has any special powers, the ritual has remained popular for generations.

As the warm water releases the oils from the peel, the bath fills with a fresh, uplifting citrus fragrance. It's a scent that defines winter in Japan, appearing not only in bathhouses but also in kitchens and in warming cups of hot yuzu tea. It's both invigorating and calming, making it easy to understand why so many people look forward to it each December.

Many sentō, onsen and ryokan still hold special yuzu bath events each winter. Some fill the baths with dozens of floating fruits, creating one of the most recognisable images of Japanese bathing culture.

Like many Japanese traditions, the ritual is wonderfully simple. It doesn't try to transform the bath into something different. It simply marks the changing of the seasons with fragrance, warmth and a small reminder to slow down as winter begins.

Seasonal rituals like the yuzu bath are one of the ideas inspiring Yū Bathhouse. The bath itself may stay the same, but the experience can change gently with the rhythm of the year.

The seasons are woven into Japanese bathing culture.

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