Bathing is a simple, standard practice in most parts of the world — or at least, it's hoped most folks consider it routine. But perhaps the ritual of the daily bath is taken most seriously in the land of the rising sun, where the ofuro is instrumental to the Japanese bathing experience.

Often called "furo" in the West, "ofuro" is the preferred term among Japanese as a sign of respect for the humble vessel entrusted with the cleansing of the body, as well as the soul.

According to Bruce Okimoto, president of T. Oki Trading Ltd., a local distributor of bath and spa products, the ofuro is not meant for washing away grime, but as a place to relax and relieve the day's tension. And there's a precise way to use this ancient ancestor of the Western hot tub.

"People typically wash off first by sitting on a little stool ... they'll shampoo, soap and rinse with a hand shower before stepping into the hot water," explains Okimoto.

T. Oki Trading carries three brands of ofuro — MTI Whirlpool, Americh, and Takagi. He says the Takagi Japanese Style Bath Tub is a hot-selling item.

"It's a simple Japanese-made tub with a starting price of $785. It's compact, lightweight and more than 25 inches deep, allowing a good, full-body soak ... it's made from FRP acrylic," says Okimoto. Unlike the early ofuro, modern tubs are commonly made of synthetic materials such as acrylic, tile and stainless steel.

Back in the old days, ofuro were made only from wood, and Hawaii's Japanese immigrants often crafted their own. Many kama'aina remember them and some still exist in Island homes.

Pamela Burns, president of the Hawaiian Humane Society, says she has fond memories of using an ofuro while growing up in Waipahu in the 1960s.

"The furo room was an outside room, tiled like a shower with the wood furo in the corner and a fire underneath it," she recalls. "We would bathe and rinse off in the room and then very carefully step into the steamy hot water ... the water was so hot that you would have to put your foot in an inch at a time to get used to the heat. I remember sitting on a wood stool inside the furo with the hot water right up to my chin. It always felt like a special adventure and the furo had its own scent."

Aromatic wood, particularly hinoki, a traditional white cedar revered by the Japanese to build ofuro, emits a lemony scent. The wood is also known for its therapeutic and anti-bacterial properties. These days, hinoki grow naturally in Asia and on the West Coast. And it's still possible to find tubs made from this special wood.

Richard Chan, best known as the owner of "I Love Country Café," imports hand-crafted hinoki ofuro through his company, Global Resources. Chan works through Muzhiyun, a company located in Guangdong Province in southern China, to offer wood products to his clients.

"A home should be warm," says Chan. "Wood is warm. It makes you relaxed." But he admits there's one drawback when it comes to the natural material — instant gratification isn't possible.

"It takes about two to three months to receive your ofuro from the time an order is placed," says Chan. "Wood needs to be cured ... you just cannot rush the finer things in life, but the longer you use it, the nicer it becomes."

Chan accommodates custom orders as well, and claims it doesn't take much longer than catalog orders. So far, most of his business comes from folks in Korea and Japan. He's hoping more Island residents will consider a wooden tub.

"This type of furo is perfect if you live in the countryside ... if you have a home on the Big Island, upcountry Maui, or Kahaluu on Oahu," he says. "Imagine how nice it would be to relax in a beautiful furo in a spot with a beautiful view."

Chan's most popular model is a basic tub, which runs for $1,500. The higher-end ofuro with extras including sound systems and jets can cost between $5,000 and $7,000. And many folks don't stop with the tub, he says, but seek to achieve an ideal haven for relaxation.

"A floor done in the same type of wood to match the furo would be perfect," says Chan, who also offers materials for wooden flooring, walls and matching accessories.

With atmosphere being a significant part of the ofuro experience, those in the business of tub sales seek to provide customers with everything necessary to create that supreme state of tranquility.

"We have lots of slate and quartzite for a very shibui (stoic) look to surround your furo," says Okimoto, of T. Oki. "Accessories such as overhead rain shower heads are very popular to use before stepping into the tub." He adds that quartzite flooring in the bathroom is increasingly popular for that "stoic, yet modern," look. Okimoto believes that ofuro appear to be a returning trend in Hawaii. "People seem to be getting back to basics ... back to the simple way of life," he says.

Returning to an uncomplicated time — when stress could be dissolved by stepping into a vat of hot water at day's end — is still in reach. Whether the ofuro is a no-frills acrylic tub — or a souped-up, top-of-the-line, hinoki wood masterpiece boasting jets and stereo sound, the end result is the same.

Immersing oneself into the therapeutic, steaming water of an ofuro rejuvenates the body, cleanses the soul and refreshes the spirit. It's as simple as that.   HS