Alfred Guballa

Born in the United States, Alfred has been living in Japan since 2011. He is working as a highschool English teacher.
He entered a sento he happened upon while walking around Tokyo, and instantly fell in love with it.
He was completely captivated by the conversation of regulars, warm waters, high ceiling, and thebig mural of Mt. Fuji. Today, he not only visits various sento but also serves as a guide at events forforeign nationals and tourists held by the Tokyo Sento Association. Here is a message from Alfred.
“During your time in Japan, you can have an excellent bathing experience without having to go to a
distant hot springs resort, just by going to your local sento! The sento is a part of Japanese culturethat most travelers tend to look over, but I definitely would like visitors to Japan to experience it!
There, you will experience the spacious tubs, folksy atmosphere, and most of all: the refreshingfeeling as all your worries and stress melt away in the waters! This is what sento is all about!”

Experience a sento during
your stay in Tokyo!
Sento (public baths) are one of the symbols of Japanese culture. Today, they are a focus of keen
attention among visitors from other countries as an experience-oriented tourism destination.
There are presumably some people who would resist the idea of entering a bath in the nudewith people they don’t know. However, in Japan’s bathing culture, which has continued to exist
in Tokyo since around 1600, there is absolutely nothing shameful about soaking in a bath in thenude with complete strangers.
In Japan, people have an expression that literally translates “socializing naked.” It has absolutely no sexual connotation; the term “naked” is used in the psychological sense. The meaning is to narrow any emotional distance from another person by talking frankly and sincerely,
regardless of differences of profession, rank, etc.
There has recently been a steep rise in the number of people from other countries visiting different parts of Japan. These visitors are traveling to see things that could only be seen or felt inJapan. It is really too bad that some of them leave without experiencing a sento.
And this is in spite of the fact that it takes only about one hour to do so. The bathrooms in hotels
are liable to be cramped and small. We urge you to include a visit to a sento in your schedule,
also as a way to soothe bodies tired from walking around to see the sights.
If your eyes happen to meet those of a Japanese customer in the bathing room, don’t be afraid
to say “konnichiwa, ii yu desu ne” (“hello, nice water, isn’t it”). Instead of justseeing the sights, please try and interact a bit with the locals. That is real
tourism, don’t you think? It will undoubtedly make your trip different fromany before.

If you want to learn more about the history of sento, click here.

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Foreign nationals who love sento
Born in France, Stephanie had her first experience ofa sento while attending a Japanese university undera study-abroad program. At first, she was surprisedat the culture of entering a bath with strangers. But
with exposure to the kindness of the proprietor andregulars in addition to the enjoyment of soaking in
the waters, she came to love sento. And now, she provides information about sento on social media andher website, out of her desire to convey their appeals
to both Japanese and foreign nationals. Stephanie publicizes particularly the artistic dimension of
sento, with photos of items such as the traditional
Japanese sento architecture and huge wall paintingsof Mt. Fuji and several kind of art typically found in
the bathing room. In 2015, she was appointed to be
Japan’s first sento ambassador in recognition of her
trips to sento throughout Japan and her activities topublicize their attractions. She published an art bookon sento titled “Sento are Small Museums” in 2017and a sento guidebook titled “A French Girl’s Guide
to Tokyo Sento” in 2018. Today, she is considered oneof the foreign nationals with the best
knowledge of sento even in Japan. We
encourage you to discover the charmsof Japan’s sento as viewed through theeyes of Stephanie by taking a look at
her Instagram account and website.

Stephanie Crohin

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TAKARA-YU

タカラ湯Tattoo-friendly

30 minutesby train
from

Ueno Station

KAISEI-YU
改正湯Tattoo-friendly

30 minutesby train
from

Haneda Airport

Hot Spring

A Japanese-style garden said to be
the most beautiful one attached to a sento

Relax at this black-water hot spring sento
near Kamata Station

The appearance of this sento, which looks very much
like a temple, reflects the traditional style that was
adopted by many Tokyo sento in the past. The distinguishing feature of this sento is a Japanese-stylegarden said to be the most beautiful one attached toa sento. Brightly colored carp swim gracefully in thepond. The bathing room is spacious and has many different types of baths. Experience the electric bath andhot water bath!

Within walking distance of the bustling Kamata Station, this sento features black hot spring water. Soakin the “kuroyu” (literally black water) carbonatedspring bath and two other types of black-water baths,
and enjoy the sensation unique to rich black-water
spas! The bathing room has fish tanks in which many
little carp swim around. Children love to watch them.

*The garden is on the side of the men’s bath. The men’s and women’sbaths are switched every Wednesday only. Women are advised tocome on Wednesdays!

Take a bus from Kita-senju Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line), and get off
at “Senju-sakuragicho” bus stop, then walk 5 minutes.
Address u 27-1 Senju-motomachi, Adachi-ku Tel u 03-3881-2660
Opening Hours u 15:00-23:30 Closed u Friday

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7 min. walk from Kamata station (JR Keihin-Tohoku Line)
Address u 5-10-5 Nishi-kamata, Ota-ku
Tel u 03-3731-7078 Opening Hours u 15:00-24:30 Closed u Friday

5HIDAMARI NO IZUMIHAGINO-YU
ひだまりの泉萩の湯

Tattoosare not allowed

Near Ueno and Yanaka,
it has an expansive full line of facilities
This sento is also close to popular Tokyo districts suchas Ueno and Yanaka, and is conveniently located neara train station. The bathing room is very large andequipped with a full assortment of facilities, including a jet bath, carbonated bath, open-air bath, electricbath, and sauna. On the second floor is a restaurant
serving a wide range of menus from Japanese, Chinese, and other styles of cuisine. You can have foodand drinks right after bathing, without leaving thebuilding!
3 min. walk from Uguisudani Station (JR Yamanote Line)
Address u 2-13-13 Negishi, Taito-ku Tel u 03-3872-7669
Opening Hours u 6:00-9:00, 11:00-25:00 (Reception ends 30 min. before the closing time)
Closed u The 3rd Tuesday

6

15 minutes walkfrom

Yanesen Area

INARI-YU稲荷湯

10 minutes by train
fromIkebukuro Station

Tattoo-friendly

Popular for its classic exterior
and new bathing room
Built in 1930, this sento has a classic appearance.
Although the building is old, the bathing room has
been renovated, so you can pleasantly soak in thewaters. There are baths with three different watertemperatures, ranging from tepid to hot. Enter thebath with your preferred temperature. Wooden buckets, a Japanese-style garden with carp swimming in apond, the warmth of wooden architecture – this sento
is a showcase of Japanese esthetics!

photo : Imada photo service

6 min. walk from Nishi-sugamo station (Toei Mita Line) /6 min. walk from Itabashi station (JR Saikyo Line)
Address u 6-27-14 Takinogawa, Kita-ku
Tel u 03-3916-0523 Opening Hours u 14:50-25:15 Closed u Wednesday

7KAIRYO-YU
改良湯Tattoo-friendly

10 minutes walkfrom

Shibuya Station

MATSUNO-YU
松の湯

Tattoo-friendly

Close to Shibuya Station,
simple yet stylish

Relieving fatigue on the way
back from Mt. Takao

Within walking distance from Shibuya Station, this isa simple yet stylish sento. Imbued with a dream-likeatmosphere, the bathing room has a tepid carbonatedspring as well as a cold bath and sauna. The pictures
displayed on the upper part of the bathing room walls
are original artworks depicting Shibuya, past andpresent. The huge whale painted on the outer wall of
the sento serves as a landmark.

This sento reopened in September 2019 after a renovation project. It attracts visitors with its chic design,
which exudes Japanese esthetics. Ease your fatigue
and relax by soaking in the large bath while gazingat the high ceilings lending the whole surrounding an
expansive air. Customers love the carbonated spring
and the open-air bath, which conveys a sense of thesurrounding nature. If you climb Mt. Takao, drop by
this sento on the way home!

30 minutesby train
from

Takaosanguchi
Stationphoto : Kentaro Imai Architectural office

12 min. walk from Shibuya or Ebisu station (JR Yamanote Line)
Address u 2-19-9 Higashi, Shibuya-ku Tel u 03-3400-5782
Opening Hours u 15:00-24:30 (Mon. - Fri.), 13:00-23:00 (Sun. & P.H.) Closed u Saturday

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17 min. walk from Nishi-hachioji station (JR Chuo Line) / 19 min. walk from Hachioji
station (JR Chuo Line) / Take a bus from Hachioji station, get off at “Orimono kumiai mae”
bus stop, then walk 2min. Address u 20 Okadomachi, Hachioji-shi
Tel u 042-622-5356 Opening Hours u 14:00-23:30 Closed u Tuesday

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HASUNUMA
ONSEN
はすぬま温泉

Tattoo-friendly

MIKOKU-YU
御谷湯 Tattoo-friendly

Hot Spring

A hot spring sento with a classic moodThis hot spring sento features a stylish, classic atmosphere. Spend a soothing interlude in the bathingroom, which is illuminated in calming pastel colors.
The facilities include a hot spring bath, a tepid carbonated spring, a cold bath, and sauna. Enjoy the lightgreen waters of the hot spring, in a surrounding which
seems from a different age.

Hot Spring

A black-water hot spring sento
near the Sumida Hokusai Museum
Wrapped in a Japanese-style atmosphere, this hot
spring sento has a retro flair. There are three black-water hot spring baths, each with a different temperature (high/medium/low). Enjoy the distinctive feel ofa black-water hot spring bath at the temperature ofyour choice! On the fourth and fifth floors, which havemutually different facilities and decors, the men’s andwomen’s baths are switched every week. A 15-minute
walk from the Sumida Hokusai Museum.
photo : rou mochizuki

photo : Kentaro Imai Architectural office

30 minutesby train 2 min. walk from Hasunuma station (Tokyu Ikegami
fromHaneda AirportLine) Address u 6-16-11 Nishi-kamata, Ota-ku
Tel u 03-3734-0081 Opening Hours u 15:00-25:00
Closed u Tuesday

15 minutes walkfrom

the Sumida m
Hokusai Museu

16 min. walk from Kinshicho station (JR Sobu Line) /take a bus from Kinshicho station, get off at “Ishihara
3(san)-chome” bus stop, then walk 2 min.
Address u 3-30-8 Ishihara, Sumida-ku Tel u 03-36231695 Opening Hours u 15:30-26:00 Closed u Monday(open on P.H., and close the following day)OSHIAGE ONSENDAIKOKU-YU

TOGOSHI GINZA
ONSEN

押上温泉 大黒湯 Tattoo-friendly

戸越銀座温泉 Tattoo-friendly

Hot Spring

Hot Spring

A hot spring sentowith a view of TOKYO SKYTREE

A black-water hot spring sento locatedin the popular Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street

This hot spring sento is a 10-minute walk from TOKYOSKYTREE. Its full line of facilities includes a huge openair bath with a view of TOKYO SKYTREE, a carbonatedspring, sauna, and a cold bath. It also has space with awooden deck and benches. You can relax here without
your clothes. Another popular attraction is the medicinal bath, which changes daily. Open all night!

This hot spring sento is in the Togoshi Ginza, a popular
shopping street. Its black hot spring waters moisturize the skin. The two bathing rooms have mutually different decors and facilities. The men’s and women’sbaths are switched every week. Try out various tubs ina retro atmosphere! After bathing, it is recommended
to take a stroll on the Togoshi Ginza streets, which are
lined with little stores.

10 minutes walkfromTOKYO SKYTREE

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6 min. walk from Oshiage station (Tokyo Metro
Hanzomon Line / Tobu Isezaki Line / Toei Asakusa
Line / Keisei Oshiage Line) Address u 3-12-14 Yokokawa, Sumida-ku Tel u 03-3622-6698 Opening Hours
u 15:00-10:00 (next morning), Open from 14:00 on
Sat., 13:00 on Sun. Closed u Tuesday (open on P.H.,
and close the following day)photo : Kentaro Imai Architectural office

3 minutes
from

walk

the Togoshi
Ginza Shopping
Street3 min. walk from Togoshi station (Toei Asakusa Line)
Address u 2-1-6 Togoshi, Shinagawa-ku
Tel u 03-3782-7400 Opening Hours u 15:00-25:00 (8:0012:00, 15:00-25:00 on Sun. & P.H.) Closed u Friday

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MYOHO-YU

MANNEN-YU

妙法湯 Tattoo-friendly

万年湯 Tattoo-friendly

Relax in waters near Ikebukuro
and beautify your skin

A sento in Koreatown
that’s popular with travelers

The bathing room has a bright, modern atmosphereand is equipped with all sorts of facilities. Besides
the “soft-water/carbonated/silky” baths with an outstanding effect for beautifying the skin, there is alsoa sauna and a cold bath. Make sure to experience thepowerful water jets and the electric bath! Many of thecustomers are foreign nationals who like the friendly
owner. The sento is within walking distance from Ikebukuro Station.

This sento seems to have been hidden away in a backstreet in the Koreatown district. The interior is very
stylish, with a unified Japanese-style design making
abundant use of wood. In addition to a tepid bath andhot bath, the bathing room also offers a cold bath.
Once you are refreshed from bathing, pay a visit to theGolden Gai section of Shinjuku!

10 minutesby train
fromIkebukuro Station

2 min. walk from Shiinamachi station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line) Address u 4-32-4 Nishi-ikebukuro,
Toshima-ku Tel u 03-3957-8433
Opening Hours u 15:00-25:00 Closed u Monday

10 minutes walkfrom

Kabukicho

5 Min. walk from Shin-okubo station (JR YamanoteLine) Address u 1-15-17 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku
Tel u 03-3200-4734 Opening Hours u 15:00-24:00
Closed u Saturday

MINATO-YU

AKEBONO-YU

湊湯

曙湯 Tattoo-friendly

Tattoos are not allowed

A stylish sento
near the Tsukiji and Ginza districts.
This stylish sento is within walking distance from the
Tsukiji and Ginza districts. Its full assortment of baths
includes one with a powerful jet. The two bathingrooms have mutually different decors and facilities.
The men’s and women’s baths are switched every
week. Enjoy a relaxing soak in the bathing room, which
is illuminated by a soft light. The entrance looks quite
like that of a restaurant, so be careful not to miss it!

Take a dip while sightseeing in Asakusa
Add a special experience to your tour of the must-see
Asakusa district! Akebono-yu stands out with its classic exterior. Decorated with a mural taking Asakusa
as its motif, the bathing room offers enjoyment of various types of baths. Consider yourself lucky if you canmake a visit from late April to late May. The wisteria
gracing the front entrance may be in full bloom then.

photo : Imada photo service

15 minutes walkfromthe Tsukiji Market

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7 min. walk from Hatchobori station (Tokyo
Metro Hibiya Line)
Address u 1-6-2 Minato,Chuo-ku Tel u 03-3551-0667 Opening Hours u
15:00-24:30 Closed u Saturday

photo : Imada photo service

5 minutes
from

walk

the Sensoji Temple

15 min. walk from Asakusa station (Tokyo
Metro Ginza Line) Address u 4-17-1 Asakusa,
Taito-ku Tel u 03-3873-6750 Opening Hours u
15:00-25:00 Closed u The 1st & 3rd Friday

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Wooden shoe key

Do sento have a special etiquette?
First, take off your shoes and put them in the
shoe rack or cupboard. Do not enter the bathin a swimming suit or your underwear. Before
getting into the bath, wash your body. Before
returning to the dressing room, wipe yourwhole body off with a towel. There are otherrules as well. For details, see the poster in the
sento.

Can I enter a sento
if I have a tattoo?

Can I take photos inside a sento?

It is generally permitted, but some sento refuse
entry to people with tattoos. Although tattoos
are widely perceived as fashionable decorations in other countries, please note that somebusinesses in Japan prohibit entry by people
who have tattoos due to its association with anti-social organizations.

Sento are both public places and facilities forbathing. For these reasons, it is prohibited not
only to take photos but also to use a smartphone after entering the building.

Do all sento charge
a fee of JPY470?

There are famous hot springs in all parts of Japan. Tokyo has hot springs known as kuroyu,
meaning “black water.” It is said that these waters can stand comparison with those in otherhot spring areas. When you get into the tub, you
may be surprised by the depth of the black color, which makes it impossible to see your bodyunder the water. However, black-water baths
are very good for health and beauty, and definitely something to experience at least once.

The approximately 530 sento that are members of the Tokyo Sento Association charge areasonable JPY470 for admission, but the fees
for facilities and services differ depending on
the sento. (In some cases, there is an extra
charge for use of the sauna.) Please appreciate
the individuality of each bathhouse. It should
be added that facilities known as “super sento”
are not members of the Tokyo Sento Association and generally charge a very high admission fee of JPY2,000 or more.

Can I go to a sento without
bringing anything along?
You can buy towels and other items at the bath,generally for a price ranging from JPY100 to
200. In almost all cases, body soap, shampoo,
and other items are available for use at thebath.

What are the bathing hours?
Sento are usually open for bathing from 3:00
pm to 11:00 pm. Check locations on a sento
map and drop in while you are out sightseeing.
A sento map is available here.

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Are there hot springs in Tokyotoo?

Why is there a painting of Mt.
Fuji on the walls of sento?
All Japanese know that sento in Tokyo have apainting of Mt. Fuji on the wall. The practice reportedly began when an artist painted Mt. Fuji
as seen from his hometown on the wall to delight the children using the sento. The picture
won praise, and the practice spread among
other sento in Tokyo. Mt. Fuji symbolizes Japan
to begin with, and is widely regarded as an auspicious motif. It is therefore not hard to see how
painting it on a sento wall became popular. At
present, there are only three such artists whomake paintings on sento walls in Japan. One ofthem is Kiyoto Maruyama, who is more than 80
years old. He stays very active and continues to
do paintings on sento walls.

【下足札】

Noren

【のれん】

This is a curtain that is often hung at the entrance tobusiness establishments in Japan. While you may
feel some reluctance, resolutely step through thenoren and enter the building.

In some cases, there is a wooden key
for the shoe cupboard. After putting
your shoes inside, remove the wooden
key and make sure not to lose it.

Noren 2【のれん 2】The men’s bath (blue curtain) andwomen’s bath (red curtain) usually
have mutually separate entrances.

Peculiarities in a sento
Attendant’s Booth/
Front Desk

【番台・フロント】

Sento have either a traditional attendant’s booth locatedbetween the men’s and thewomen’s baths or a front
desk. Pay the fee of JPY470
here. (Some sento have aticket vending machine.)

Put the hand towel
on your head

【頭にタオル】

As a point of etiquette, do not put
your towel in the water of the bath.
Leave it beside the bath or fold it
and put it on your head.

Basins and stools【桶と椅子】

Once you enter the bathingroom, take a basin and a stool
to the washing area, and wash
your body. When you have finished washing, take the basin
and the stool back to where you
found them.

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