A proverb says: "Avoid the seven disease, earn the seven fortunes" and this is the reason why Japanese people believe that washing the body in a furo is a way to purify both the body and the heart.
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Japan has many cultural traditions that may seem odd to us on the western side of the world. They are different from other traditions, for they arose from real life and problems that follow us every day.
Among other traditions, furo - Japanese bath - has special place. A tradition born in the sixth century is no traditions of body washing or cleaning, the cleaning of soul would be more appropriate description. A very nice description you may found on Furo website and it goes like this: Buddhist proverb says: “Avoid the seven disease, earn the seven fortunes†and this is the reason why in the Asuka period Japanese people start to believe that washing the body in a furo was a way to purify both the body and the heart.
In the Heian period, in Kyoto and Kamakura, appeared the first bath shop and in the Edo period started to be built the Sentou, places where the mass could have a bath paying a chip and that introduced the sweating bath. This long history lead modern Japanese people to the custom of enter in a bath with abundant hot water that comes till the shoulders: this is furo.
So, what we on the west are seeing as simple washing that lasts for few minutes, our Japanese friends see as a way to purify body and soul, as a way to wash away all stress of modern life. Many Japanese homes have bathtub outside the house, inside, large or small, it doesn't matter, it serves the purpose.
It's no wonder than that Japanese company Furo decided to connect the old tradition and the best modern design which resulted in beautiful baths that are most likely the best in the world. They use natural lacquer, a material created using a natural sap. Once again, we quote Furo site: The history of Japanese lacquer is very old and goes up to the Jomon period (5500 years ago).
The "maki-e" lacquer, a product of the first part of medieval period, has fascinated even the courts of Western Europe and the oldest and most representative product of this genre, the Tamamushi, is still conserved in the museum of temple Horyuji and still has its original brightness. The first step in order to create a lacquer art craft is to prepare the base of plain wood: this is an operation made by the “plain wood craftsmanâ€. It is not too much to say that the result of a lacquer craft depends on this first and important step. The next step is to apply the lacquer.
Apply the lacquer and sharpen it: this is an operation that must be repeated many times and it requires a really great experience of the craftsman. Moreover, if the lacquer peels off or brakes, to apply the lacquer again in order to use that craft for a long time that could even be eternal.
Visit Furo and see wonderful design and work of Yukio Hashimoto, the Basin will capture your soul. ■