In Japan, no daily ritual is more uniquely important to the individual's well being than the bath at the end of the day. The ofuro has been used by the Japanese for centuries to alleviate both physical and spiritual maladies. This ancient technique of immersion in hot water takes away tensions and stress, soothes muscular pains, and stimulates the blood's circulation. Due to its ability to increase the quality of one's life and health, this oriental bathing tradition has been gaining popularity here in the west.

Our ofuro, a traditional style Japanese bath, is painstakingly crafted from some of the finest, hand selected woods available. While traditionally the wood of choice is hinoki, also known as port orford cedar, we also offer the slightly more durable Alaskan yellow cedar and the more exotic teak. Rivaling even the finest Japanese products, on occasion we have used other types of wood to meet clients specific design requirements.

The ofuro, or Japanese bath, has three main differences from the western style bathtub. The first is the actual use of the tub. While an American bathtub is used for bathing, an ofuro is strictly for soaking, and relaxation. As such, soaps should not be used in the ofuro. Doing so will undesirably stain the wood. The second difference is the water depth. Western bathtubs are only about 12" deep...somewhat pitiful for real relaxation. Our ofuros have a typical inside depth of 26" to 28", and we can quite easily adjust this to your needs. The third, and probably biggest difference, is the over-flow of the ofuro. Unlike a western bathtub, ofuros do not have an overflow. This is one of the ways of accomplishing the extra depth, however the design is such that the ofuro overflows over the top, onto the floor. This requires that the floor where the ofuro is placed is completely waterproofed with a central floor drain installed. Additionally, the ofuro is typically drained onto the floor as well, though, it is quite possible to plumb the drain into a standard drain pipe. Draining can be accomplished with our specialized " Flip Drain", or as an option we also offer an automated electronic drain valve.

Traditionally these baths are used as a soaking tub, being filled with hot water, then emptied at the end of the evening (in Japan the entire family shares the same water on each filling). The original style of ofuro is very small, barely fitting one person, scrunched up. Many westerners prefer something larger, frequently much larger, and it is therefore rare that the typical home has enough hot water supply to fill the ofuro. Although it may seem unconventional to the ofuro traditionalist, our ofuros can easily be set up similar to a western style hot tub. A circulation system, including filtration and heating components (gas or electric), as well as any number of therapeutic jets can be added. When this is done, all of the plumbing fittings we use that are attached to the tub are a custom made, flush mounted, clear-coated bronze fitting. When jets are added, all of the plumbing fittings that are installed in the tub are the same custom made, flush mounted, clear-coated bronze fittings. If desired, these fittings can plated with chrome, nickel, or even gold.

The size of these square, or rectangular baths can vary greatly according to your needs; from as small as a one-person tub, to as large as you desire. As these Japanese baths are all made to order there are no standard sizes. Generally we make the tub to fit your individual desires and existing space. The depth can also be specified for your comfort.

After a stint as a woodworking apprentice in Japan many years ago, and many many more years of making and developing our own style of these Japanese baths, our ofuros now rival even the finest Japanese products. We carefully hand-select each individual piece of wood that goes into making an ofuro. Our ofuros are constructed in such a manner that when complete, each side appears to be made of only a single board, with no indication as to how the sides are joined together. Most importantly, unlike others, even the ofuros made in Japan, our ofuros do not "seep", "weep", "drip" or leak a single drop of water. In addition to our square and rectangular ofuros, we also offer an excellent substitute in the form of small oval hot tubs, or even a small round hot tub.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

If you can imagine it, we can make it (almost). We have no "standard" size and most every ofuro we have made over the last 20 years has been customized to the needs and desires of the client in one way or another. We've made them as large as 7' x 5' x 4' deep , and as small as 2' x 2' x 2'. Although we have made them as long as 7', currently the largest ofuro we'll make is 5' x 5'. This is due to a decrease in stability at over 5'. The "typical" depth is 26" to 28" where upon you sit on the floor. It's not uncommon though, to make them deeper, up to 48", and have a bench for seating. If forced to give a "typical" size, 3' x 5' x 28" deep is somewhat common.

Because of how we go about manufacturing the ofuro it's important to understand how the "specified size" relates to the actual finished size. Length and width refers to the overall outside dimensions, meaning the inside length and width will be smaller due to the thickness of the sides. The sides of an ofuro are typically 2" to 4" thick, depending on the overall size of the ofuro. The height refers to the actual inside depth, meaning the overall height will be higher due to the thickness of the floor and the added height from the small joists the ofuro sits on.

In order to obtain maximum water depth for the most enjoyable soaking, ofuros don't have an overflow like the typical American bathtub. While we have on occasion installed "conventional" overflows, the preferred style allows the ofuro to simply overflow over the top. This of course requires that the ofuro be installed on waterproofed floor with a center drain.

For draining there's a few options. If the ofuro is being filled and drained for each use, included is a custom, 1¼" MPT, flush mounted, bronze drain fitting. The location of the drain can be specified to exactly match your plumbing layout, and it includes a lever operated stopper. An optional fully electronic drain valve is also available.

Ofuros with a recirculating heating system or that are fully jetted, can have the above configuration as an option, but more frequently the draining is done through the plumbing. A "T" with a valve is simply installed into the added plumbing.

The vast majority of ofuros are made either of hinoki or teak. Other woods that have been used are yellow cedar, western red cedar, Spanish cedar and others. While hinoki is more traditionally Japanese, teak is slightly more durable and less prone to staining. Due to the majority of the production costs being labor, the type of wood you choose has little or no effect the overall cost of the ofuro.

Yes, however there are some special considerations. If located outdoors the ofuro has to be completely shaded from direct sunlight. We also don't advise anything larger that 5' x 3' going outside, and teak is without a doubt, the preferred wood of choice.

No. The ofuro is intended specifically for soaking and soap will cause permanent staining to the wood.

Our ofuros are made of all wood with no finish applied to them. We do not recommend any type of finish, nor can we even suggest one.

Most residential home do not have enough hot water supply to fill an ofuro. With every cubic foot of water being 7½ gallons, smaller ofuros hold about 100 gallons and a "typical" 5' x 3' x 26" deep ofuro holds about 160 gallons. Some instantaneous water heaters can fill an ofuro, but most people chose to add a small recirculation (pump) system with an electric "spa" heater. Adding a filter and ionizer to this, one can reuse the water for up to a week without the use of standard hot tub chemicals. Using a small amount of chemicals, the water can last up to 3 months.

It's important to remember that a recirculation system requires that 1½" PVC plumbing be attached externally to the ofuro. In some cases this may be visible and it will be desirable to construct some type of deck or "surround" to hide this. It's also possible on a simple recirculation system to run all the plumbing through the floor of the ofuro thereby hiding all the plumbing underneath.

Absolutely! Just like a normal hot tub or spa an ofuro can be jetted. Just like the drain fittings, the jets are a custom clear coated solid bronze fitting.

The location of the jets needs to be determined before construction of the ofuro is completed as they must be installed during the construction process. Also, keep in mind that jets require plumbing on the exterior of the ofuro. It will almost certainly be preferred to cover/hide this plumbing with some type of deck or surround, build on site.

Again, we have no standard sizes and work with your dimensions to create an ofuro to fit your personal needs. That said, for an ofuro in Port Orford cedar or teak, up to 48" long by 30" wide and up to 28" deep, cost is $5895. For a larger size, up to 60" long by 36" wide and up to 28" deep the cost is $6795. If you'd like the ofuro made of Alaskan yellow cedar, deduct $500. As the ofuros become even larger, (we can make them up to 5' long by 5' wide and up to 48" deep) the thickness of the wood and the amount of labor intensifies greatly. Please give us a call and we can work out an estimate based on the specific size of a larger ofuro.

Optional slopping backs, one at each end, with a maximum 15 degree slope can be done with ofuros up to 60" long by 36" wide and add an additional $995.

Please remember, length and width refers to the outside dimension, while depth refers to the inside depth.

Cedar / Redwood Hot Tubs | Alaskan Yellow Cedar Hot Tubs | European Timber Tubs | Teak Hot Tubs | Oval Hot Tubs | Wood Fired Hot Tubs
Japanese Ofuros | Accessories & Add-ons | Wood Species | FAQ | Installation Guide | Picture Gallery | International Sales | In the Limelight
Price List | Home Page | Virtual Store