Small Plastic Ofuro Tubs
Although the Japanese invented the ofuro tub centuries ago, they have become more and more popular in Western culture. Traditionally an ofuro tub is made out of wood, but in the Western world, small plastic ofuro tubs are more popular. Plastic is a better way to store water than wood is, because wood has a habit of expanding when water fills it. The traditional Western bathtub does not hold a lot of water. The small plastic ofuro tubs can hold more water than a normal bathtub, and a person can sink right into the water to bathe or just relax. Oriental cultures use ofuro tubs as a method of relaxation; Western cultures use it to bathe more than to relax.
Because of the ofuro tub's design, they can hold quite a lot of water for a person to sink in to in order to relax. The primary reason that Western cultures have created small plastic ofuro tubs is because they hold more water than normal bathtubs. A person can sit down and let the water reach up to his or her neck, instead of having the water barely cover the belly. The Japanese invented these tubs for relaxation, but Western cultures have transformed them into bathing tubs.
Traditionally an ofuro tub is made out of wood by hand. This is the way they have been made for centuries. However, Western cultures began to make them out of plastic in assembly lines. This turned small plastic ofuro tubs into a bathing tub rather than a relaxation tub. It can still be used for relaxation, like in tradition, but Western cultures utilized the deep water as a way to bathe.
The small plastic ofuro tubs may be more popular in the Western world, traditional wooden ofuros are still being made. They are still quite popular in oriental cultures. Of course the small plastic ofuro tubs sell better in Western countries because of the fact that they hold more water than a normal plastic bathtub. They are made to immerse a single person in deep warm water.
Small ofuros are becoming more popular in Western countries because of the amount of water they can hold. Normal bath tubs cannot hold much water, but ofuro tubs are able to submerge a person's entire body underwater. Even though the traditional ofuro tub is used for relaxation, Western countries use them to bathe in instead of relaxing. A normal ofuro tub is made out of wood, but Western versions are made with plastic, which is a more useful material to make tubs with.