It's a staple of life, and who am I to argue with that? This is why I blew off bar hopping with my friends to stay at my hotel in Tokyo and enjoy a long Japanese bath. Need to get all the experiences I can while I'm on vacation, I said; it really was just an excuse to beg off a bit of time from the rush rush of sight-seeing and party searching. Sometimes even guys need a bit of peace and quiet.
I had ambled down the hallway, locating the easy-to-spot bathroom on the right. It was empty -- most people being out on the town, just like my friends -- and the hotel staff had already drawn up a piping hot tub of water. Just perfect.
Closing the door, I sat down on the stool and washed myself off. As with anything different than my normal routine, this Japanese custom felt strange, but not foreign. It was like taking a shower sitting down. Getting the dirty essentials out of the way, I quickly shifted over to the tub.
Japanese tubs are very deep. Slowly I lowered myself in, wincing as my freshly washed skin was assaulted by near scalding water. But it was at least a few degrees short of permanent burn damage (hopefully), and I braved it out as only a manly man could do. Okay, so I lie... I whimpered a bit. But eventually I sunk all the way down to the bottom, my entire body submerged save for my neck and head.
It was heaven. I felt my muscles uncramp as the waves of heat sunk deep within. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, turning off my brain to just enjoy the experience. Some people back in the states say that long hot baths are just for girls, but that's too sexist for me. Besides, it's basically a big hot tub for one.
Floating there, allowing time to slip away as I softly hummed to myself, I was almost oblivious to the door opening. Footsteps slapped softly on the tile floor, causing me to open my eyes and see who it was. I was just about ready to say something to the effect of "bath occupied," when my mind stuttered to a halt.
She was Japanese, most definitely. A small, petite girl with the wispy black hair, the pinched eyes, and the delicate skin. She stood there, vaguely looking at either the tub or the floor, refusing to meet my eyes. She wore a long t-shirt and flannel shorts, holding a towel in her right hand.
Her eyes flickered up to mine, and I was in love. Hah, well, so maybe I have instant crushes on all the Japanese women I meet, but they're so incredibly cute that it's damn near irresistible. I know it's just the culture talking and not exactly reality, but their shyness, their friendly yet meek attitudes all project an aura of sexy innocence. Yet so far in Japan, I had only looked and not even made advances. I didn't think I'd even know how to flirt without seeming overbearing, like your typical crude westerner.
I risked a hello. "Konnichiwa."
"Konnichiwa," she said, so softly in that quiet room. Those were the only words we said to each other that day.
I fully expected her to turn around and jet it out of the bathroom, if nothing else, than to give me my privacy. But I was loathe to say something or gesture right then. Sometimes life can be its strangest just when you think it can't get any more bizarre, and that is when lifetime memories are formed.
So right then, with me sitting stark naked in a burning hot bath, the Japanese beauty began taking off her clothes.
My friends said I lied when I told them this story, but they weren't there. Hell, I couldn't even believe it myself. The only thing my sex-addled brain could come up with was that the Japanese had different standards when it came to nudity and modesty. But to come in to an already occupied bath and wash off yourself while a strange guy is looking on...? Believe it or not, but that is what happened.