Editing Bathing (section)

===Medieval Japan===
Before the 7th century, the Japanese were likely to have bathed in the many springs in the open, as there is no evidence of closed rooms. In the 6th to 8th centuries (in the [[Asuka period|Asuka]] and [[Nara period]]s) the Japanese absorbed the religion of Buddhism from China, which had a strong impact on the culture of the entire country.  Buddhist temples traditionally included a bathhouse (''yuya'') for the monks. Due to the principle of purity espoused by Buddhism these baths were eventually opened to the public. Only the wealthy had private baths.
[[File:Kiyonaga_bathhouse_women-2.jpg|thumb|''Onna yu (women's bath)'' ({{Circa|1780–1790}}), by [[Torii Kiyonaga]]]]
The first public bathhouse was mentioned in 1266. In [[Edo]] (modern Tokyo), the first ''[[sentō]]'' was established in 1591. The early steam baths were called ''iwaburo'' ({{lang|ja|岩風呂}} "rock pools") or ''kamaburo'' ({{lang|ja|釜風呂}} "furnace baths"). These were built into natural caves or stone vaults. In ''iwaburo'' along the coast, the rocks were heated by burning wood, then sea water was poured over the rocks, producing steam. The entrances to these "bath houses" were very small, possibly to slow the escape of the heat and steam. There were no windows, so it was very dark inside and the user constantly coughed or cleared their throats in order to signal to new entrants which seats were already occupied. The darkness could be also used to cover sexual contact. Because there was no gender distinction, these baths came into disrepute. They were finally abolished in 1870 on hygienic and moral grounds. Author John Gallagher says bathing "was segregated in the 1870s as a concession to outraged Western tourists".<ref>Gallagher, J. (2003). ''Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance, and Art''. London: PRC Pub. p. 87. {{ISBN|1856486974}}</ref>

At the beginning of the [[Edo period]] (1603–1868) there were two different types of baths. In Edo, hot-water baths ('{{lang|ja|湯屋}} ''{{transliteration|ja|yuya}}'') were common, while in Osaka, steam baths ({{lang|ja|蒸風呂}} ''{{transliteration|ja|mushiburo}}'') were common. At that time shared bathrooms for men and women were the rule. These bathhouses were very popular, especially for men. "Bathing girls" ({{lang|ja|湯女}} ''{{transliteration|ja|yuna}}'') were employed to scrub the guests' backs and wash their hair, etc. In 1841, the employment of ''yuna'' was generally prohibited, as well as [[mixed bathing]]. The segregation of the sexes, however, was often ignored by operators of bathhouses, or areas for men and women were separated only by a symbolic line. Today, ''sento'' baths have separate rooms for men and women.<ref>''Badehäuser, Schwitzbäder, Heisse Quellen''. Katalog der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, Berlin 1997.</ref>