The capybara is the world’s largest rodent, and while that description may be off-putting for the uninitiated, closer inspection reveals an adorable and very chill animal. Capybara have become a bit of a kawaii phenomenon in Japan, with a capybara and cat cafe opening in Tokyo, and a yearly capylympics held to award a gold medal in watermelon eating.

Perhaps because of their relaxed nature, capybara also love hot baths. Because of this, many zoos contain traditional Japanese hot spring set ups in their capybara enclosures where the rodent can leisurely get a hot soak in.

Japanese Twitter user Namakra (@namakra0123) recently visited one such zoo, where they observed a capybara enjoying a surprising hot spring set up and shared it in an incredibly soothing video.

In the video, a lone capybara is enjoying a hot spring bath, but also a stream of water from a fancy Utaseyu setup. Utaseyu is a method of bathing that involves a stream of water cascading down one's back, typically from a bamboo pipe as seen in the video, enjoyed at onsen (traditional Japanese hot springs).

The capybara, of course, is not washing its back, but instead welcoming a constant stream of hot water pouring down on its head at full force! It almost looks like a challenge or meditative technique, but it once again shows that capybara are the king of chill in the animal kingdom.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.