Sunday, April 28, 2024

What are Sento? 10 Best Japanese Bathhouses in Tokyo

japanese bath house

Please note that this is changing, and certain parts of Japan may be more lenient than others. Also, tattoos coverable with tattoo sleeves and stickers are usually acceptable. While relaxing in the bath, you will notice that each sento’s interior design is unique and different. Be sure to discover and gaze upon the different kinds of murals in the sento such as the iconic mount Fuji mural painting, the ceramic tiles mural and a charming Japanese garden.

Top 10 Tokyo bath houses

Also offered are such treatments as massage, cupping, and reflexology. Should you fall in love with the space, a buyout for a private spa party can also be arranged. A proud winner of the Good Design Award 2015 in the public architecture and facilities category, Hisamatsu-yu is considered one of the best designer sento around. The sleek modern indoor bath boasts the first light projection show at a bathhouse, with white geometric shapes washing over and transforming the wall by the main bath. There’s a carbonated bath said to lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation, a bath that changes with the seasons, and unusually for Tokyo,  a natural hot spring open-air bath. For the ultimate relaxation experience, visitors can also book massages and reflexology treatments.

Hours of Operation

In this post we will talk about proper Japanese Bath House Etiquette. And these hot spring baths, have become a part of pop culture, seen in movies like Spirited Away, and in viral articles, like the recent one about shunji tsuchimoto. Many places actually prohibit wearing swimsuits in the bath, so there’s no need to bring one. Having said that, some places will allow customers to wear swimsuits.

Other Don’ts of Japanese Bath Houses

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If it accidentally falls into the bath, be sure to wring it dry outside the bath. Enter the bathing area but only bring your hand towel with you. Mizu-buro (水風呂) — A cold bath, usually annexed to the main bath at an onsen or sento. Utase-yu (打たせ湯) — An onsen in which water splashes down like a waterfall; bathers sit under the waterfalls so that the water hits down on them like a massage of sorts.

Sauna

However, this isn’t the ideal option as it shows disrespect for the local tradition and may make people uncomfortable. It is completely normal for men to bathe together in Japan, and communal bathing in general is an important aspect of Japanese culture. I saw many children, both male and female, bathing with their female relatives. Each facility seems to have different rules about how old or all kids have to be to stick to the side for their gender.

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A soft blue and white Mt Fuji mural adorns the wall of the main bathing room, designed by graffiti artist Gravity Free. Dokodemo Sento is a website about sento (bath houses) in Japan. Here, you will discover many sento along with information, photos, and related events.

Convenient Japanese Phrases For Hot Springs!

And not all of them have a public bath or private bath. From the moment you arrive, Kitashinagawa Spa Tenjinyu looks more like a stylish hotel or bar than a Japanese bathhouse, with indoor greenery aligning a sleek and modern staircase. Aside from its aesthetic appeal, the big attraction here is a natural black hot spring drawn from 100 metres underground, containing minerals that are conducive to smooth and healthy skin. Guests can bathe in this purifying spring water before or after experiencing the other tubs within the facility, including a powerful jet bath. Kogane-yu’s sister, Daikoku-yu, has firmly cemented itself as a community hub just south of Tokyo Skytree. The large rotenburo (open-air bath), which men and women can use on alternating days, is a major drawcard.

Japanese Bath House Blue Mountains Entry Prices

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As with any social situation in Japan, certain etiquette rules should be followed when using a public bath house. One of the most important things to remember is that you should always be quiet when using the facilities. This means no talking, laughing, or making any other noise that might disturb other guests. Onsens can have very slippery floors due to the ingredients in the hot spring water.

Likewise, ‘sand bathing’ is not a light-hearted children’s beach activity, but instead a therapeutic treatment whose benefits have been espoused for over 300 years. No stay in Japan is complete without going to an onsen, or natural hot spring. Bathing in one of Japan’s famous onsen is one of the most relaxing experiences on this planet, as you will feel the hot springs’ water warm you to the core, healing your tired body. While many first-timers might be intimidated by being fully nude in front of other bathers, strip away your fear along with your clothes and feel truly refreshed and reinvigorated.

Large numbers of unemployed yuna thereafter moved to official red-light districts, where they could continue their services. Up until 1870, there were also male washing assistants called sansuke (三助, lit. three bits of help) who would wash and massage customers of both genders. Unlike the yuna, these male attendants were not known to engage in prostitution. Larger scale public bathing facility types are called super sentō and kenkō land, both more expensive than sentō, though super sentō offer a more modest price compared to kenkō.

japanese bath house

In spite of this, laws regarding mixed-sex bathing were soon relaxed again. These baths were called yuya (湯屋, lit. hot water shop), or later when they increased in size ōyuya (大湯屋, lit. big hot water shop). These baths were most often steam baths (蒸し風呂, mushiburo, lit. steam bath). While initially these baths were only used by priests, sick people gradually also gained access, until in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) sick people were routinely allowed access to the bathhouse.

In every sento, you will see rows of numerous shower heads with stools for washing. Near the showerhead, you’ll likely find soap and shampoo. It’s important to wash your body off here before entering the bath. There’s honestly not a huge difference between a sento and an onsen, but there is a difference. Sentos are public Japanese bath houses with artificially heated water. Sentos come in many shapes and sizes; you may find jacuzzies, saunas, and cold water baths, depending on where you go.

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