'Place where one has to bend down', stone water basin formation.

(Pronunciation: "TSOO-koo-bye") A stone washbasin filled with fresh water outside a Japanese teahouse. Guests ladle water over their hands, and rinse their mouths to ritualistically cleanse themselves before entering.

A tsukubai is a small basin provided in Japanese Buddhist temples for visitors to purify themselves by the ritual washing of hands and rinsing of the mouth. This type of ritual cleansing is also the custom for guests attending a Tea ceremony.