The most common Japanese bathtub is called a furo or ofuro. The earliest hot tubs were made of wood, but modern bathrooms are created with acrylic glass, tile, or stainless steel. The hot tub inspired the Western bathtub, but the two bathtubs have a couple of visual differences.

A hot tub is smaller, deeper, and has square and square sides. In contrast, a Western bathtub is longer, shallower, and has sloped sides. In the past, ofuros were heated by a wood stove under the tub. Today, the modern bathtub has a recirculation system that filters and reheats the water.

Some families use the hot water from the finished bathroom to wash clothes in the washing machine. Japanese hot tubs or spas are extremely hot and are commonly heated to a temperature of 100-108 degrees Fahrenheit. In the traditional bath, the whole family uses the same bath water.

The oldest male or guest of the house goes first and the rest of the family follows in order of seniority. However, many young women in modern times refuse to bathe after their fathers. In families with larger bathtubs, it is not uncommon for families to bathe together in the same tub. Many parents take their babies and toddlers to the bathroom with them. Ofuros are meant more for relaxing than cleaning. Because the whole family uses the same bath water, it is considered extremely rude to enter the bathroom without being completely clean beforehand.

Bathroom accessories usually include a small faucet or shower along with the ofuro. The bather sits on a small stool where he rubs his skin and washes his hair before entering the bath. Many bathrooms are much smaller than Western bathrooms installed in a similar way to walk-in showers. Although many modern houses and hotels have private bathtubs, many people still use public bathhouses or private baths instead of private baths. Males and females are almost always segregated, excluding the extremely rural areas of Japan. Almost all bathrooms do not allow the use of bathing suits or towels in the bathtub, everyone goes completely naked.

Bathers sometimes use a small hand towel to cover their genitalia as they exit the water. Many hotels offer these hot baths to their clients. Sometimes they are outdoors or on the roof. It is especially crucial to be thoroughly washed and rinsed before entering a public restroom. Bathers who pollute the communal bath water with foreign dirt are considered extraordinarily rude. Onsen are baths and bathhouses that use water from natural hot springs. They are usually located around the hot springs in question, and many of them are outdoors. Open-air bathrooms can be made of granite, Japanese cypress, or marble. Although the dry sauna and the regular sauna are of Finnish origin, saunas can be found in many Japanese sports centers and public baths. Like the baths themselves, these saunas are separated by gender and nudity is required.

Bathhouses in Japan used to be extremely common, especially after World War II. However, there are fewer bathhouses in modern times due to fewer customers. More and more people can afford houses that already have bathtubs, so they are less inclined to use the public bathroom.