Japanese Ofuro Baths

About Ofuros

We build furos in the traditional Japanese style. All our tubs are custom made to order. The wood used is of the finest grade - vertical grained, quartersawn heartwood, properly dried and free of defects. Our furos are shipped fully assembled or as a kit to be assembled on site. Each tub comes complete with a polished brass floor drain. The tubs are water tight, but don't have an overflow drain, so they should be installed on a waterproof floor with a central drain.

Wood choices: We offer two woods - Port Orford Cedar (known as Hinoki in Japan) and Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Both woods have natural aromatic oils that make the wood decay resistant. Hinoki or Port Orford Cedar (POC) has is light brown in color, medium desity and hardness, has a lovely citrus lemon aroma that fills the air during a bath. This is the classic traditional material for the ofuro. Our POC is sustainably harvested on a very small scale. Since POC is limited in supply it is more expensive. Alaska Yellow Cedar (AYC) is actually a cypress and has a beautiful fine straight grained yellow/blonde color. It is a medium density and very durable wood well suited to making tubs and is used extensively in Japan. It has a wonderful aroma. It is plentiful and is less expensive than POC. On a custom basis - other woods may be available.

Tub Design and sizing: In general the Ofuro is a small but deep tub. Most Western tubs are less than 12 inches deep. The Japanese tub is about twice that deep so the bather is immersed in steaming hot water over the shoulders. For best results plan on a one person tub. For smaller ofuros, you can choose from rectangular, elliptical or circular styles. Larger ofuros are available in the elliptical or circular styles. Rectangular tubs can have vertical or sloped ends. Rectangular tubs are for indoor use. Elliptical and circular tubs can be installed oudoors or indoors. We can help you decide what will work best for your situation.

Room Design A traditional Japanese bath has a showering and washing area - open in design with a waterproof floor and a central drain. The soaking tub is adjacent and placed to enjoy a natural view if possible. It is a requirement that the ofuro be installed on a waterproof floor with a floor drain. This allows for water that overflows to drain away. The washing station usually has a wooden stool and bucket. The Japanese style of bathing begins with a leisurely and thorough washing outside the tub using plenty of soap and shampoo and hot water. Next the bather slips into the crystal-clear, steaming hot water for a completely relaxing quiet soak. See our photo gallery for some design ideas! We also recommend buying The Japanese Bath by Bruce Smith.

Accessories Accessories include bathing buckets, matching wood covers, wood floor grates (Sunoko), and bathing stools.