Before entering the sauna room, you pick up a small mat in the changing area. It's a towel-like mat, approximately 30cm x 40cm. You take it with you into the sauna room, place it on the bench, and sit on it.

"Why bother with a mat?" Foreigners might wonder. However, the sauna mat is a symbol of the Japanese sense of hygiene and etiquette.

This article delves into the uniqueness of Japanese sauna culture as represented by the sauna mat.

Consideration for "The Next Person"

I started using a sauna mat after a regular customer made a remark.

"Are you using a mat?" an older gentleman sitting next to me in the sauna asked. When I replied, "Not yet," he said, "You should use one. It's for the next person too."

Those words stuck with me. "For the next person." The sauna mat is not just for oneself. It's a consideration for the next user.

It prevents your sweat from directly touching the bench, allowing the next person to sit comfortably. This consideration for "the next person" is at the core of Japanese etiquette.

Commitment to Cleanliness

Japanese people have an unparalleled commitment to cleanliness.

Public toilets are clean. The streets are tidy. Food hygiene standards are strict. Keeping public spaces clean is considered a social etiquette.

The sauna mat is an extension of this cleanliness culture. There's a resistance to sitting directly on public benches and discomfort in sitting where someone else's sweat might be. The sauna mat resolves these issues.

In saunas abroad, the concept of a sauna mat is almost nonexistent. People sit directly on the benches, and there's no problem with that. However, in Japan, it's different. The sauna mat is becoming established as a matter of etiquette.

This difference highlights cultural distinctions. It's not about which is right or wrong. But in Japan, the sauna mat has become an item symbolizing "consideration" and "cleanliness."

The Awkwardness of Forgetting the Mat

One day, I forgot my sauna mat. I realized it when I opened my locker at the facility. "No mat."

I could have bought one, but I decided to use my towel instead that day. However, when I entered the sauna room, I felt an indescribable awkwardness.

Looking around, almost everyone was using a mat. I was the only one sitting directly on the bench. No one said anything, but I felt guilty, thinking, "Am I breaking etiquette?"

This experience made me realize that the sauna mat is not just a convenient item. It's an item that signifies "awareness as a sauna-goer."

A Small Mat Nurturing Culture

The sauna mat is small. 30cm x 40cm. Priced between 1,000 to 2,000 yen. It's a minor item.

However, this small mat nurtures Japanese sauna culture. By using a mat, you practice "consideration for others." You develop a sense of valuing public spaces. You feel the responsibility to maintain cleanliness.

The sauna mat symbolizes Japanese etiquette culture. It's subtle but important. It's not mandatory, yet many practice it. It's not enforced, yet voluntarily upheld.

I believe this is the beauty of Japanese culture.

If you experience a sauna in Japan, I encourage you to bring a sauna mat. It's not just a hygiene item. It's a small ritual in participating in Japanese sauna culture.