Our minka's bath and shower area was reformed in the 1970s. Though serviceable, it needs some work, and we are looking at both system options and local designers.
A pity though, we may have to say goodbye to the asparagus-themed tiles. Hopefully, some can be saved and we can use elsewhere...
Mahoutokoro Headcanon: #9: Living Quarters: (Dormitory and Baths)
Mahoutokoro Living quarters are traditional Japanese style. From time to time Chinese and Korean influence has been observed in the redecoration style.
Male Dormitory
Every house (or Kazoku) has one Male Dormitory. The Dormitory is bare and minimalistic, covered with Tatami mats and has two sliding doors on the opposite sides (either East-West or North-South) that open to two long corridors. The Dormitory is usually a long room that some-time can range up to 20 feet in length. This long room is segregated by several sliding panels that make different compartments for a different class of boys. Each compartment is liberally equipped with futon, pillows, blankets and all the things required to stay the night in. The Male head of the Family sleeps at a compartment adjacent near the Family’s boy’s dorm and his duty is also to serve as Warden.
Boys are required to sleep in a specific way. Their heads must face the doors opening at the corridor and a small path must be left in the middle so that if someone wants to use the toilet they do not trade on anyone. Bringing food in sleeping quarters are strictly forbidden.
If anyone wishes to study late, prior permission must be granted, and they will have to retire in the spare lounge at the other end of the dormitory. All-nighters are often seen in exam seasons or during school festival. There can be maximum seven late-study permit a month per student.
All this arrangement is held within a single ‘’cottage”. Japanese Castle rarely has multifloored system, and it is only with the case of something very important. The Cottage of the Danshi (boys) are connected with the other part of the castle with corridors and bridges.
Each Male Dormitory has a name
Kekkain family is called Kagami (Fire God)
Hideyoshi is called Ryonnosuke (Noble Dragon)
Matsuyama is called Haruki (Life of Spring)
Nobuyuki is called Osamu (discipline)
Yonomori is called Yasuke (Great assistance: named after a Black samurai)
Courtyard of Boys Dormitory
Female Dormitory
The female dormitory accommodates exactly the same way the male dormitory, only there are some architectural adjustments. The Cottage of Female Dormitory is situated on top of a moat, amidst the water. When all it’s occupants are housed, the bridges that connect the cottage with the castle disappear and the cottage becomes an island of its own. Unless an occupant of the inside wishes to go out, the bridges won’t open. This was a clever device created by Yonomori to keep out the men from entering women’s quarters.
Every dormitory compound, male or female has a garden of their own. That means there are ten different house gardens that are taken care of by the students alone. Each of them has a different variety: for example Kekkain dorm gardens are famous for their red pine and maple, Hideyoshi dorms are known for their fragrant camelias, Yonomori gardens grow the best Devil’s snare, Matsuyama gardens are famous for medicinal plants and Nobuyuki gardens are famous for plum blossoms.
The names of the Female dormitories are:
Kekkain (Amaterasu: Sun Goddess)
Yonomori,(Aratani: Gem)
Nobuyuki: (Ren: Lotus, symbol of eternal learning)
Hideyoshi, (Tatsuko: Dragon Child)
Matsuyama (Nagi: Calm)
The Connecting bridge between Girls Dormitory and other part of the castle: the cottage is surrounded by moat.
Outhouse and Bathhouse
As per the rules of traditional Japanese homes, baths are taken in open spring and toilets are situated outside the premises as well. Every dormitory has their own outhouse inside the cottage for excretion and for washing clothes. Modern facilities were introduced in 1980′s but the outhouses (now known as the bathroom) didn’t change entirely from it’s traditional setup: small wooden tubs, wooden reservoirs, and other traditional outhouse utensils co-exist with the modern equivalent of commode, flushes and cubicles.
Although the Spirit Akaname is in charge of cleanliness in the outhouses, they don’t wash the clothes worn by human. Students wash their own clothes and each dormitory has their own pond reserved for washing clothes. As the Washing Machine that requires electricity cannot be run within the campus, old fashioned scrubbing is required for washing clothes. Students can bring any utensils or objects required for cleaning from their home, but the school also stocks plenty in the Dormitory Reserve. Clothes can be washed any time of the day but since the beginning of the school, there has been an unspoken rule that the clothe-washing are done in the day off, as the activity itself has been observed as a socializing mechanism.
Despite having different outhouses, Mahoutokoro has only two bathhouses or Ofuro. These Ofuro are actually Onsen of Hot spring, that are enriched with 25 (multiple of Five) minerals. When the school was being made, Nobuyuki emphasised that the family baths should be separated, but Kekkain and Hideyoshi voted it out. The Onsen/ofuro are one for boys (danshi) and one for girls (joshi). One onsen is large enough to accommodate 100 people. It is a house neutral territory, and anyone can take a bath in these within appropriate time. The Bath or Onsen are the places to socialise and catch up with the people outside the house. This also encourages inter-family harmony and peace. The Onsens are located at the center of the castle, a position sacred to Matsuyama, who developed many healing recipes that will revitalise anyone who takes a dip in the water.
There are several etiquette that are observed during taking bath
1. Anyone who steps into the water must shower right before entering the water and must be clean.
2. The head must not touch the water, neither any bathing suit or towel.
3. No teasing, bullying or staring in the bathhouse. If anyone does any one of these, they will be punished by the spirits of the Onsen.
4. Nudity is mandatory.
5. No one can stay in the water for more than an hour.
The Onsens are located under open sky, and as Japanese are night-bathers, the view is simply magnificent. The Onsen is accompanied with a shower-room, which must be used before entering the bath. The shower room follows the common bathing etiquette of Japan: social distancing while cleaning oneself, sitting while taking showers to avoid splashing etc. The shampoo, conditioners and soaps provided there change their scent according to season: in Spring they are cherry blossom scented, in the later autumn they smell more fruity and intense etc.
