A translucent fog envelops a middle-aged man as he fills a white bowl with hot water, the shadowed bust of a shapeless individual rises from hot water and a nude woman stretches out in the water, a halo of tree leaves extending above her.

These are quiet and simplistic moments — one that photographer Mark Edward Harris captures and presents as intimate portraits of a sacred Japanese tradition.

His collection entitled, “The Way of the Japanese Bath,” is an examination of this centuries-old custom. Mr. Harris’ work offers insight into this Japanese tradition, the images dancing across the glossy pages like moving poetry.

An ethereal atmosphere

This vaporous and mythical quality, however, projects a tangible sense of mystery. The grainy black and white prints are dreamlike — and the lack of sharp edges and color contrasts conveys a peaceful atmosphere.

In one photograph, two men talk with one another as they relax in Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido Prefecture, Hokkaido. One man faces the other, his smile drawing a web of wrinkles across his contented face — and the dark water of the lake glows from the rays of the sun.

A white soaked towel rests on each man’s head — it is believed that these towels will keep you from fainting from the extreme heat of the waters.

It is a tradition that spawns back to the Nara period (710-784). Originally, only priests used bathhouses. However, the Kamakura period welcomed sick people access in hope that the water would cure their various ailments.

A meditative and healing tradition

In the early 1200s, commercial bath houses were being built across Japan. Today, it is a social and meditative tradition. One that takes place both in public bathhouses and in private bathrooms in homes across Japan.

People still flock to baths in hope that specific mineral properties will help cure physical ailments like gout, fatigue and chronic digestive problems. Therefore, soap is not allowed in the baths because it may negatively affect the quality of these minerals. Sodium, for example, is found in alkaline springs and is thought to help diabetes, gout, drug addiction and gallstones.

But this serene Japanese tradition was not sprung from something peaceful — the same geological and geothermal rumblings that have created more than 20,000 thermal hot springs across Japan are also responsible for volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes.

Mr. Harris portrays public bathhouses as welcoming places — a space where men and women can quietly reflect or enjoy conversations with their respective genders. In one image, Mr. Harris captures seven men sitting in a circle in an outdoor bath on the banks of the Tanohara River.

Presented by Christina Erb.

About Mark Edward Harris

Photographer Mark Edward Harris graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a Master of Arts Degree in Pictorial and Documentary History. He began his career with doing stills for the Merv Griffin show.

In 1986, Mr. Harris set off on a four-month trek across the Pacific and photographed Southeast Asia, China and Japan. Since that trip, he has traveled and photographed in more than 60 countries. His work has appeared in a number of publications including “Life,” “Islands,” “Playboy” and “The New York Times.”