
It’s such a simple idea, but you’ve probably never thought of it before–why not throw a glow stick into your bathtub or pool to create an exciting, luminescent atmosphere?
The trend has suddenly become a hot topic in the Japanese Twitterverse, and over the past few days many people have been testing it out and posting pictures of their lit-up baths for others to be envious of. If you have some leftover glow sticks from a concert or party, this could be the perfect way to get rid of them. More pictures after the break.
Glow sticks are known as “Cyalume” (サイリウム) in Japanese, after the brand name of one of the chemical compounds used to make the reaction that gives off light. Here are some of the recent tweets advertising ‘Cyalume baths’:
▼”A glow-stick bath”
【速報】風呂にサイリウムを投げ込むだけで雰囲気がガラリと変わることが判明
100円のサイリウム1本で出来るのでぜひお試しあれ pic.twitter.com/U3iWRjzMgb
— ゆるふわ怪電波☆埼玉 (@yuruhuwa_kdenpa) August 17, 2014
▼ “You should definitely try this–one glow stick costs only 100 yen [US$0.97].”
https://twitter.com/nan10ori/statuses/500987427511488514
▼ “I wanted to try making one of those glow-stick baths, but somehow it turned out different from what I expected. Now I’m waving it while I watch a MoCali DVD.”
https://twitter.com/koshikudake/statuses/500992375951335426
The next Twitter user provided detailed instructions on how to achieve a quality glow-stick bath:
“Correct sequence of steps to make a glow stick bath:
1. Buy a glow stick (it doesn’t have any batteries). They’re little tubes that light up when you bend them, sold for about 100 yen each.
2. Bend it to make it glow and throw it in your bath. If you’re worried that the liquid will leak, you can put it inside a Ziploc bag or something. Keep in mind that the liquid could be harmful to the touch. It’s VERY easy.”
正しいサイリウム風呂の手順
①サイリウムを買う(電池式不可)
サイリウムとは100均などで売ってる折ると光る棒②折って発光させ風呂に投げ込む
液漏れが心配ならジップロック等に入れる
容器の中の液は有害である点に留意とっても簡単 pic.twitter.com/ptokvt6l13
— ゆるふわ怪電波☆埼玉 (@yuruhuwa_kdenpa) August 17, 2014
▼”I got a glow stick → I bent it → I threw it into the bath → I turned off the light.”
https://twitter.com/s_mhnmd0617/statuses/501014957849206786
As one of the above Tweets says, the liquid inside glow sticks has the potential to cause an allergic reaction in some people, so you should avoid touching it in the unlikely case of a leak.
What’s the coolest color combination you can come up with? Have fun testing them out!
Source: Togech
Images: Twitter (@s_mhnmd0617), ActiveDark

Take the “Public” Out of Public Bathing and Make a Natural Hot Spring in the Comfort of Your Own Home
We try a hot pink poncho meant to turn your at-home bath into a sauna experience
Cleverly designed bath-use glasses that don’t fog up make a splash in Japan
Japanese Twitter comes up with ingenious new way to eat popsicles, so we tried it out!
Eight beauty products recommended by Japanese Twitter for a great “au natural” look
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Deer that appeared in downtown Osaka gets a new home, a new name, and a lot of snacks[Video]
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Famous koi ponds overwhelmed with tourists throwing thousands of coins in them
The future is now with full face sunglasses
New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Sailor Moon’s Artemis is part of the Artemis II NASA mission control team[Video]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
Tokyo’s best museum for foreign travelers finally reopens after being closed for four years
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says