Image via Wikipedia

Denkiburo 　
電気風呂

There was a sudden flash of lightening last night as I was putting my son to bed, followed by a low rumbling of thunder. I started telling my son how to calculate the distance from our house to the lightening strike by counting the seconds between seeing the lightening and hearing the thunder. My son was more interested in discussing what would happen if one were hit by lightening. I was explaining electrocution when I suddenly thought of electric baths or denkiburo. The electric bath is not primative variation on the electric chair, but is a regular feature at public baths in Japan. A simple kanji everyone who goes to a sento or onsen should know is denki: 電, or electricity. This kanji, when coupled with 風呂, bath, means electric bath, or denkiburo. These are tubs and pools, large and small, with electricity running through them. They are a staple at public baths or sento, and sometimes appear at hot springs resorts or onsen. Their therapeutic effects are compared to a full-body massage that increases blood circulation and they are thought to be especially efficacious for the elderly.

During my first years in Japan I rented a studio apartment in a building with shared bathrooms, No bathing facilities were expected or provided: the sento across the river was cheap and offered a variety of soaking and bathing options. I went later than usual one night and upon entering the bathing area noticed, through the steam, a large group of tattooed men relaxing in the main pool. Assuming they were from the yakuza office down the street, I looked for a different place to soak. A smaller pool off in the corner was empty. I advanced through the steam and extended a toe toward it's surface to judge the water temperature. Suddenly I was 5 feet away from the pool gyrating wildly and trying not to fall on my ass. I heard laughter and guffaws behind me. Yes, I had wandered into the denkiburo, and it had taken me by surprise. I joined the yakuza, in the main pool. They were friendly and sympathetic and asked me why I hadn’t seen the sign on the wall above the denkiburo.

I've tried the denkiburo since then. Knowing what I was getting into, I was able to sit down and stretch out without writhing or screaming. Still, the electric pulse was too strong for me, reminding me of periodic embraces of a low voltage electric eel.

Can't Buy a Wii (or a PS3)

The Nitendo Wii is a lot more popular than the Sony PS3, but you can't buy either one where I live. Maybe they sell them all in Tokyo or ship them to other countries. The Wii is more innovative, a lot cheaper, and seems to say ahead of Sony on the fun factor. Sony sold just under 2 million PS3s last year, while Nitendo shipped 3.2 million Wiis.

I have yet to see either a Wii or PS3 for sale. just demo models, stacks of empty packaging and signs saying that models for actual purchase, while currently unavailable, were on their way. While you can check out a game on a PS3, the Wii is encased in a Plexiglas shrine and can only be admired from a distance.

Last Sunday was no exception. I walked into the local Kojima Denki with my son and saw a PS3 demo model in front of the game section. Kids were huddled around the two controllers, so we walked on and looked at the computers.

Later though, the kids left and Ray and I got to do some racing on the PS3. The graphics were great especially on the cars--metallic surfaces, reflections and shadows were all meticulously rendered, but the game was nothing special. We had to flag down some kids to show us how to use the controllers and did a few laps around the track. We kept bouncing off roadside barriers, getting spun around and driving the course backwards, but gradually got the hang of it--good fun, but not worth the yen equivalent of 400 to 500 bucks. People who purchase the PS3 are not buying them to play mere racing games.

After our PS3 experience we walked through the game section and saw the usual signs. Kojima would receive 5 units each of the Wii and Playstation 3 next week. Interested parties should contact the clerk in the games section.