The Japanese are famous for their onsen, hot springs, and equally inviting ofuro, baths, in which one showers before getting into a hot soaking tub. I began my love affair with Japan in my 20s, where I met and married my wife. I recall chill winter nights in Kyoto, where soaking in the small ofuro in my very old and drafty traditional home were a welcome respite from the biting cold.I felt that this home would not be complete without a Japanese style soaking tub, so we equipped this 12 x 12 sq. ft. room with two tall Western-style showers and a third lower faucet for the traditional wooden stool of the Japanese bath.The bath is a 4 x 4 sq. ft cedar tub, lined with a copper pan.We used redwood siding throughout to line the walls, and a large 4 x 4 sq. ft. skylight to let in cool ocean breezes and added sunlight. The room also has sliding glass doors leading to the patio and deck, and the stars above and the sound of waves add to the ambiance of this ofuro.The room recalls an earlier bath I built in the Bay Area, at 80 Fay Avenue.
©2003 James Docker, MFA designer/builder of custom homes at The Sea Ranch, CA