
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
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Need a work-from-home office fast? Set up this Japanese cardboard desk in less than 1 minute
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Yu-Gi-Oh rights holders address use of anime clip in White House post on attack on Iran
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
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
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