Bathing Culture in Japan: Public Baths, Hot Springs, and High-tech Tubs

My 4th year students graduated last week - dressing up in the traditional hakama (here) to receive their graduation certificate from the president - though it was a bit of shock to wake up to a heavy snowfall! Indeed, the weather has been very strange recently, 26℃ on Friday and 13℃ on Saturday. Nevertheless, spring is in the air, with the cherry blossoms now at their peak, after officially starting to bloom on the 24th. While many people are content to sit in the park under the trees and enjoy a picnic (known as hanami), a great way to properly enjoy the sakura experience is to take an evening boat ride under the blossoms on either Chidorigafuchi Moat (here) or Meguro River (here).

The awareness of the Japanese towards the changing seasons and their appreciation of seasonal foods is one of the reasons I love Japan, but for me perhaps the biggest draw of all is the bathing culture - nothing beats a visit to a hot spring (onsen) or even the local public bath (sentō). Of course, it's not realistic to visit these places every day so a fine substitute is the household bath which enjoys a level of technology that puts the British bath to shame. Earlier this month we had our bathroom renovated so I thought this would be a good opportunity to promote the joys of domestic bathing! The picture above shows the process of removing the old bath and installing the new one. One interesting point is how the bath is typically cleaned before it is demolished to show respect for years of use (this is also done before disposing of old cars or even used needles (here)! Respect for objects that have served one well is a nice custom but that doesn't detract from the joy of a new high-tech bath. Note that the new bath is not only lower but lacks taps too. As the control panel below shows, the bath in Japan is filled automatically and the temperature, height of the water, and even the length of time the temperature is to be maintained can be set. The most recent models even allow baths to be controlled via smartphone app from outside the home, so you can come home to a steaming hot bath after a hard day's work!

During the four-day renovation, I made use of a local sentō just down the road, actually a super sentō named Terme Ogawa which unlike the simple local neighbourhood public bath comprises a large complex of multiple baths and saunas as well as restaurants, massage, and relaxation rooms (map below). Regarding the difference between public baths (sentō) and hot springs (onsen), the latter use natural spring water while the former use boiled tap water - subsidised under the Public Bathhouses Law - explaining why sentō are often distinguishable by their chimney. The distinction is not clear cut however, particularly in the Kanto region, where super sentō like the one I visited often also describe themselves as "natural hot springs" (天然温泉). 

Map of "Super Sentō" Terme Ogawa (©Termeogawa) here

With the spread of private bathrooms from the 1970s, public baths plummeted in popularity and many went out of business. Data for Tokyo, for example, reveals 1968 as the peak, with 2687 sentō in the capital faling to only 444 in 2023. However, since around 2014, public baths have enjoyed something of a revival - in tandem with the sauna boom (sakatsu=サ活) - as a community spot or hub, especially among young people and foreign tourists. For example, last year, a new sentō tour named Sentorance Japan started with the aim of making sentō an "entrance" to Japanese culture: the tour includes a lecture on sentō etiquette in English followed by a bath. There are also a number of non-Japanese involved in preserving and restoring bathhouses such as Sam Holden and Stephanie Crohin. In terms of a specific recommendation, why not check out Denkiyū, a small sentō located in Kyojima, Sumida ward, which featured in the film Perfect Days? One thing you may notice in both public and private baths in Japan is a small stool which Japanese typically sit on while washing before getting into the bath. This is crucial - Japanese enjoy the bath for relaxation never for washing, and since they enter the bath clean usually reuse the same (clean) water for a few days before refilling. Certainly, British bathing seems primitive in contrast! Thoughts? Please write in the COMMENTS section.