Bone broth is healthy, so bathing it in must be too? Yunessan Spa House in Hakone, Japan has transformed the spa bathing experience into a delicious noodle dish with its ramen baths.

Like ingesting bone broth, a ramen bath promises to boost collagen and increase metabolism. Plus, it goes down a lot easier than swallowing tub water.

Ichiro Furuya, the owner of the world-famous spa in Japan credited with sparking the ramen bath trend, claims, “Lately people are very concerned about having beautiful skin, and they know the effect of collagen, which is contained in our pork-based broth. At this bath, everybody can have fun and take advantage of the healthy elements of ramen noodles.”

The spa started the trend, probably around 2007, but it's gaining in popularity amongst those that are willing to soak in a bowl filled with noodles and strangers.

Ramen noodles are definitely having a moment, with ramen joints popping up in cities around the country. There is also plenty of bone broth trending, both in gourmet circles and in the natural health community. Bone broth is known to be good for what ails you, but it's usually consumed soup style. Ramen is a similar stock broth soup but has the addition of noodles. And while ordering a bowl of ramen comes with additional add-ons, when it's served as a bath, it's a more basic blend of broth and noodles—no additional veggies, spices, eggs or meats.

Given that many people are willing to do anything to have smooth, young skin, the ramen bath doesn't seem that crazy, if you want an all-over glow.

And when it comes to soaking, people have been adding edible products to the tub for a long time. Milk baths, wine soaks, bathing with olive oil, scrubbing with coffee grinds, etc, have all been touted as natural ways to look forever young. Many of these ingredients also end up in products at some point, so maybe instant ramen for the bath is next?

[Images via Aktivist.pl]