
Eleven herbs and spices plus one bathtub makes for an unforgettable beauty ritual.
Earlier this month, KFC and Japanese novelty item chain Village Vanguard teamed up to create KFC bath salts. However, while Village Vanguard has in the past let you just walk right into one of their stores and pick up say, some Attack on Titan or Resident Evil curry, the KFC bath salts were a limited-quantity promotional item, with only 100 packs a day offered as part of a giveaway for KFC Japan’s Twitter followers.
The promotion ended on November 15, and, sadly, we weren’t picked to bath in the rarefied waters. So, left with no other options, we made our own KFC bath.
First, we made a trip to our local branch to pick up 30 pieces of Colonel’s Original.
Back in the office, we assembled the staff for a Kentucky Fried lunch, and collected everyone’s leftover bones. We still had a few untouched pieces, so we sliced the meat off of them using a knife and kitchen shears, put the edible parts in the refrigerator, and then had our supply of 30 pieces’ worth of chicken bones.
We heated a pot of water, tossed in the bones, and let them boil, with the delicious smell of fried chicken filling the room.
After about 15 minutes, we transferred contents of the pot, including the bones, into a tea kettle for easier transportation to the bathroom, where we already had a tub full of hot water waiting. Tipping the spout forward, we poured in the still piping hot chicken stock.
Then, in the interest of not letting anything go to waste, we dumped in the bones too.
At this point, the entire bathroom smelled like a KFC branch. On the one hand, if you’re the kind of person who’s keen to take a KFC bath, odds are you’ll find the smell enticing; we certainly did. However, with your nose telling you you’re in a fast food restaurant, it takes a certain amount of mental energy to will your body to undress. Nevertheless, our brave reporter Ahiru Neko stripped down and hopped in.
After a few moments of quiet, controlled contemplation, he gave us his honest reaction.
“This feels so good!” he gushed. “Like, indescribably good!”
Aside from the pure decadence in bathing in a calorific comfort food, the chicken stock is rich in collagen, which left Ahiru Neko’s skin feeling smooth and looking shiny, which he said was an especially satisfying break from the hard, cracked skin that Japan’s cold, dry weather at this time of year so often causes. Of course, some of that resultant shininess is also probably the work of oil and chicken fat in the broth, but considering that Ahiru Neko doesn’t bathe in KFC every day, he’s OK with that.
▼ A video retrospective of Ahiru Neko’s special bath
So remember, tossing out your KFC bones is a rookie mistake, when you can use them to not only make a great hot pot, but a nice hot bath too.
Photos ©SoraNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]














KFC cooks up fried chicken bath salts in Japan
KFC Japan releases official Kentucky Fried ramen recipe, other Japanese-inspired cooking ideas
KFC Japan releases official “how to eat fried chicken” guide just in time for Christmas Eve
KFC Japan releases official onigiri rice ball, miso ramen rice recipes to level-up fried chicken
We try some of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Kentucky Fried Fish
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Live-action One Piece’s Luffy teaches Sesame Street’s Elmo a Japanese word for friendship[Video]
Starbucks Japan has a limited-edition candle…that hasn’t sold out yet
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
Taste-testing Japan’s real-world Dragon Balls and Senzu Beans at Marugame Seimen
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Chance to play Tetris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March
Japan’s Human Washing Machine pods are now on sale for home use, and they’re not cheap
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral?
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
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
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
Can you make a good chicken ramen broth with KFC fried chicken?
This Kentucky Fried Chicken Day we investigate the rumored “custom ordering”
We make a Russian Kentucky Fried Chicken sushi ginger sandwich
Japan’s new KFC-flavor potato chips don’t taste like KFC, but they do taste like chicken【Taste test】
How to make a lucky sushi roll with KFC fried chicken skin【SoraKitchen】
Don’t throw away the bones! How to make Japanese Christmas KFC soup【RocketKitchen】
Relax in a bath that smells like … miso soup and ramen with these bath powders from Japan!
KFC will straight-up sell you a bag of fried chicken skin in Indonesia
Kentucky Fried Chicken becomes Kentucky Fried Salmon with Japan-only seasonal specials
KFC Japan releases special finger sheaths for hassle-free fried chicken eating
In always-polite Japan, KFC has low-smell fried chicken so you won’t bother people on the train
We buy Kentucky Fried Chicken’s box of New Year’s food, but it comes with a surprising extra
Japanese study finds KFC’s paripari crispy chicken sound increases blood flow in brain, appetite
We try KFC Japan’s deep-fried soup
We stuff our faces with Wednesday night all-you-can-eat fried chicken from KFC Japan