fresh bathwater to pour over oneself
Refers to clean hot water used for rinsing the body before entering a communal bath, or for a final rinse after bathing. Common in onsen and sento contexts.
At a hot spring, you first pour fresh bathwater over yourself before getting into the bath.
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; also seen in practice.
Compound of 掛かり (kakari, 'pouring over') + 湯 (yu, 'hot water'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with bathing practices.