?This book is a physical work of art?as it should be, because the Japanese bath is an aesthetic event.??Whole Earth Review  Since its first publication in 1992, this book has become a curious classic, taking a -simple (yet often incorrectly performed) activity and depicting it with a graphic, manga-style edge. In twelve drawings a young Japanese man is shown preparing, rinsing, soaking, communing, relaxing, contemplating?all an encouragement to readers to slow down, ease into the hot water, and enjoy this timeless ritual of purity and release.