High/Low: The Japanese Wooden Bath Bucket

Here at The Organized Home, we all dream of installing a Japanese-style spa bath with a deep wooden soaking tub. And while this is likely to remain a fantasy for most of us, one of the key Japanese bathing ritual accessories, the copper-ringed wooden bucket, turns out to be within reach. We’ve long admired the real thing made of hinoki, a lemon-scented cypress wood grown only in Japan. And we recently happened upon a surprise lookalike that hails from Ohio.

The buckets are used to rinse the body after soaping and scrubbing, but they also make great soap and shampoo caddies. Beyond the bath, they can take on other roles, including that of fruit bowl. (In Japan hinoki boxes are used for making tofu.)

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In addition to its lovely scent, hinoki has a silky smooth finish and is naturally mold- and mildew-resistant.

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And if you love the look of hinoki, you can go beyond the bucket and source all sorts of accessories, including Hinoki Wood Stools, Hinoki Bath Mats, Hinoki Tissue Box Covers, and Hinoki Soap Dishes.

Go to High/Low Design for more of our discoveries.

As intrigued by Japanese design as we are? Take a look:

• How to Bathe Japanese Style
• 15 Best Online Shops for Japanese Design
• Bathroom of the Week: A Japanese-Style Bath in London, Greenery Included
• Expert Advice: How to Become a Minimalist, by the Author of “Goodbye, Things”