Hi-tech mobile phones and leisurely baths are well-known passions of the Japanese -- and apparently they're not mutually exclusive.
A survey released Monday showed that 41.2 percent of people in the country have at least once taken their mobile phones to the bathtub to make calls, type e-mails, listen to music or play games.The practice extends across all sexes and ages, although teenagers were the most likely to have bathed with their phones, according to the poll of 16,250 people carried out by video-game maker Sega.
The most common reason for taking the phone to the tub was to type e-mails, followed closely by listening to music.
The survey will come as no surprise to Japanese mobile phone makers, some of which advertise that their handsets are safe for the bath.
Japan has one of the world's most advanced mobile networks, with nearly 85 percent of users carrying third-generation phones that allow Internet access and other interactive features.
Soaking in the bathtub is a nightly custom for many in Japan, where trips to hot-spring resorts are a popular pastime.
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