TOPIC OF THE WEEK APRIL 12. 2024~

Thermae: Ancient Rome, Japan, and the Joy of Bathing Exhibition

One of the most prosperous civilizations in history was ancient Rome, where the population enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle and advanced architectural techniques epitomized by the ubiquitous thermae, or public bathhouse.
Ancient Roman public bathhouses (Thermae) are known for their advanced architectural and civil engineering techniques, and are highly regarded both in Japan and abroad as symbols of the affluent lifestyle of the time. In Japan, public bathhouses are also much loved, and even today, when baths in the home have become the norm, there are approximately 700 public bathhouses in Tokyo alone. The first Thermae in the city of Rome were built in 25 B.C. by Agrippa, the right-hand man of the first Emperor Augustus. Remains that are still well above ground are the Baths of Caracalla (d. 217) and the Baths of Diocletian (c. 302), the largest in the city of Rome. Operating a large thermae required large amounts of fuel and slaves, in addition to managing and maintaining the water supply. As a result, the ancient Roman bath culture disappeared during the Middle Ages.
In a nation of avid bath lovers like Japan, it is no surprise that the thermae have captured people’s imaginations, especially after Mari Yamazaki’s manga Thermae Romae made them more widely known. Through videos, models, and over 100 works of art―including paintings, sculptures, and archaeological finds from the collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples―this exhibition introduces the lives of ancient Romans with a focus on the thermae. The exhibition also touches on the bathing culture of Japan, which has flourished as a result of the country’s natural topography and regional cultures. Like Lucius, the protagonist of Thermae Romae who travels between present-day Japan and Rome through a time portal in a bathhouse, visitors will have the rare opportunity to compare the bathing cultures of ancient Rome and Japan.

Thermae: Ancient Rome, Japan, and the Joy of Bathing Exhibition
Date: Till Sunday, June 9, 2024
Venue: Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art

For more information, please visit