Ladle with handle

The bath ladle (湯おけ) with a long handle is used in the bathroom to scoop hot water from the bath to clean the floor or bath seat either before or after the bath. It’s also used to splash water onto one’s body to acclimatise it to the hot water before getting into the ofuro. The long handle is traditional, designed mainly for convenience, especially at onsen baths where the tub is often at floor level – the handle means you don’t have as far to bend! You’ll use these at onsen and sento to wash the shower area after you’ve used it, ready for the next person. Most people wash it again themselves. The braided copper wire gives this ladle good stability. It matches nicely with some of our other bath accessories, such as the round foot bath. It is made from sawara which is a kind of cypress, closely related to the hinoki. It is rot resistant and has a similar lemony scent to hinoki. If you like the look of these you might also like our new Kadomaru hot tubs, also made from sawara.