Even in the west, we have heard crazy stories about the Japanese work ethic. Well, unfortunately some of these are not stereotypes but facts for many working in Japan. The Japan Times wrote an article in October of 2016 reporting that 1 in 4 Japanese companies admitted that their workers put in 80+ hours of overtime per month. The term karoshi refers to “death by overwork,” and actually happens. In 2015 the Japanese government recognized 96 strokes and heart attacks as work related. In the same year, the National Police Agency reported 2,159 suicides that were at least partly related to work stress.

But alongside this intense work environment lives deep seeded traditions of relaxation, one of the most prevalent being bath culture. The vast majority of Japanese people prefer bathing (generally at night) compared to Westerners who more often prefer showers. Visiting a traditional onsen (hot springs bath) is very popular…