Elevating the Role of “Bather” to a Dream Job
“Sharing Japan’s Bathing Culture with the World—Ensuring it Lives On for Generations”
Uniting Our Team and a Select Group of Bathers to Envision the Future of Japan’s Bathing Culture
Recently, MEGAVAX held an internal event called “Bathers Meeting 2025,” bringing together our employees and a select group of Bathers. By deliberately keeping it in-house without external guests or business partners, we created a unique opportunity for everyone to come together as one and engage in lively discussions about the future of Bathers and the overall vision for the unit bath industry.
What is a “Bather”?
The term “Bather” is MEGAVAX’s original way of redefining individuals previously referred to as “craftsmen” or “service engineers”.
- Origins of the Name: While “Bather” literally means “someone who bathes”, we have imbued it with the notion of “people involved in system baths”, highlighting both pride and appeal.
- Image-Building Effect: It refreshes the outdated “5K” image (dirty, demanding, dangerous, frightening, and uncool) that has long plagued the industry, steering it toward a more future-oriented style of work.
Main Highlights of the Event
1.Enhancing social status through further reforms at Bather
We introduced a bold initiative to adopt hoodies and neck straps as new uniforms, transforming the impression Bathers make on job sites. This approach not only increases trust from our customers but also serves as a powerful tool for attracting new talent. We also distributed the “On-Site Courtesy Guide” kindly provided by Hashimoto Sogyo and utilized “CSight,” a customer satisfactionprogram run jointly with TOTO, so that everyone on our team can share best practices for on-site customer interactions. By focusing on attire and manners, we aim to prevent potential issues before they arise and, crucially, refresh the industry’s overall image.
2.Bather Career Paths
Our consultants work side by side with Bathers to design personalized growth plans. This ensures an environment in which younger generations can step into leadership roles.
3.Classifying Projects by Rank
We have introduced a tiered system ranging from S-Class (1-day remodeling) to E-Class (unit bath assembly only), providing clear guidelines on difficulty. This allows Bathers to build up their skills step by step, matching their current experience.
The Importance of Sharing Japan’s Bathing Culture with the World
With decades of unit bath expertise to build on, MEGAVAX aims to reaffirm that “every home’s bathroom is assembled by Bathers.” While challenges such as an aging workforce and a shortage of new talent remain, we believe that reforming the industry’s image will establish a solid foundation for attracting the next generation.
Future Outlook
MEGAVAX is planning various initiatives to further energize our operations, including:
- Strengthening recruitment and training of younger talent
- Broadening content that showcases the appeal of Bathers
- Expanding new projects to provide additional opportunities for skill development
Guided by our mission to “spread Japan’s bathing culture worldwide and ensure it endures,” each and every Bather carries a sense of pride as we continue to take on new challenges.
In Closing
“Bathers Meeting 2025” offered a valuable chance for MEGAVAX employees and Bathers to discuss the future of the unit bath industry. By further refining attire and etiquette, establishing Bather career paths, and introducing a ranking system, we have taken the first step toward transforming “Bather” into a truly aspirational career. MEGAVAX will continue to lead the industry, determined to share Japan’s bathing culture with the world in the years ahead.