◯Water to cherish, heal and nurture our lives

・to cherish

 When we were born, all of us in Japan were completely surrounded by warm water. Depending on the indigenous and traditional custom of Japan, we soak our babies into warm water called '産湯ubu-yu' immediately after their birth to cherish the new innocent life. Even the young brain system can't remember the experience so clearly, but the memories of it will keep living in the body's sensation. Maybe if your own cultures don't have such custom you also will be able to appreciate the sensations. Because you certainly also had experienced it while you were in your mother's belly before you were born. Regardless, there is no doubt that all of us have been came from the warmth of mother nature, no matter where we are from. Even the young brain system can't remember the experience so clearly, but the memories of it will keep living in the body's sensation. It is imaginable that the culture of bath expresses two symbols of blessings. One is the blessing of water from nature, and the other is the heating technology passed on from our ancestors. There is a simple unity of the blessings from nature and the wisdom of survival. Once you get into the bath, you'll find that it brings back to you the feeling of primitive and innocent life. From the daily life of stress and hard work, you can be refreshed and reborn! Then, as relaxed as you are, you too would be blessed.

・to heal

 Warm water in the tub would heal your body and mind. In a Japanese myth edited in ancient times, we can see the episode that 大国主之命Ohkuninushi-no-mikoto (name of the legendary king of ancient Izumo) soaked his wounded friend into the tub filled with the warm water from Beppu Onsen to heal his injuries. Nowadays, some sports instructors and coaches in Japan also recommend that sports players soak to in the hot tub to heal their muscles after their training. They say that it promotes the blood circulation inside the body and it is effective for muscular pain and neuralgia. Without a doubt, having regular time to relax and heal is good for our mind.

・ to nurture

 In sento, we have some typical manners to save the cleanliness of the water that are based on the native and (private) common sense of Japanese society. The users of sento would understand that the resources in public places should never be wasted by selfish behavior. The people in Japan have lived in small islands for tens thousand of years, possibly such historical/geographic condition nurtured the mind in concern for other people's wellness in daily life. It can be connected to the spirit of 'One for all, all for one' from the western world.