13 HOMESTAY HANDBOOK.pdf - icu．ac．jp - 国際基督教大学

8. Having a bath in Japan is very different. Most families take a bath in the evening. If
you cannot survive without a morning shower, please inform your family of this and find out what is
convenient. Otherwise, take your bath in the evening. Sometimes, Japanese families pay
particular care to the order in which members of the family use the bathroom when bathing, so
please ask first when and how you ought to bathe.
If you are asked to bathe first and the water is too hot, add a little cold water, but remember that
other family members will use the same water to bathe after you, so do not make it too cool. You
must wash your body outside the tub and use the tub only to soak. Do not put soap in the tub!
After taking a bath in your host family's bathtub, please do not drain the tub. Leave the hot water
for the next person. Sharing hot bath water is a long-standing Japanese custom that helps save
water. We hope you will follow your host family's custom.
Finally, use your own bathing products (shampoo, towel, etc.) and do not "share" the family's unless
otherwise indicated.
9. As you probably know, you must remove your shoes before entering the house.
Ordinarily, after you take off your shoes at the entrance (genkan), arrange them neatly. However,
the ‘formal’ way to put away your shoes is to put them in the shoe cabinet (getabako) or wherever
you are instructed.
While at home you should wear the slippers provided. Most Japanese people wear slippers in the
house even in summer. You will find a separate pair of slippers in the toilet. Leave your house
slippers outside the toilet door and step into the toilet slippers. Remember to change slippers when
you leave the toilet!
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