Traditional Japanese public bath houses upgraded to stay in business

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The traditional sento bath house is an important part of Japanese culture. For 500 yen (US$3.7), bathers can take a dip in communal tubs. But with more people choosing to bathe at home, high gas prices, faltering machinery and a lack of successors, the number of public bath houses has dropped from nearly 18,000 at its peak in the late 1960s to only 1,800 nowadays. Young owners are reinventing the business through renovations and data analysis.

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[pinkymoon]

My boyfriend forced me to go to a public bathouse in Kyoto. It was a old bathhouse frequented mostly by elderly people. They have one for men and one for women. No one stared and everyone was busy bathing and chilling in the tubs. It was a great experience. I'm glad i gave in and tried. The only culture shock was seeing the elderly man running the place suddenly walk into the women's changing room where they have the lockers. None of the women inside( most were elderly local women) batted an eye. He came in and got something from one of the lockers and left. Lol.

[ianhomerpura]

One way to popularize it again is include them in mainstream media. Having them always seen in dramas and other shows is why and how bathhouses are still in demand in other countries, like South Korea.

[Jordan-inJapan]

I live in central, rural Japan, and it’s true — a lot of the bath houses have gotten some interesting amenities over the last 10 years or so. But nothing so cool as a DJ and craft beer on site…that sounds like a Tokyo thing. (I’m a bit jealous.)

That said, we do have one local place that includes a ‘beer bath’ — you actually bathe in a mix of beer and hot spring water. (Seriously, if you don’t believe me I’ll be happy to post a link. 😂 🍻

[DarylSolis]

I lived in Japan for 8 years and did this all the time. I love the sento and onsen in Japan. Definitely one of my favourite things there.

[andrew_alxf]

For a country full of introverts, this must be preserved

[toastyfetus]

I remember going to these as a child with my mom in Korea. It really was a daily part of our lives lol. We would get scrubbed down and go into the baths. There’s a few in US.

[thatswhatshesaid.literally]

😳 For me personally, bathing among a bunch of strangers (or even my friends, on that note) would not be a relaxing time. 😂 But, I'm glad many do enjoy it and have a fun experience! ☺️👍

[jordanmicahcook]

People today are just getting more and more shy and reserved about this kind of thing. In America, more and more gyms are getting separate stall showers, and I even had a man yell at me one time for changing in the locker room. I don’t understand why he got mad at me for using the room for what it was designed for, but I believe America has lost a lot of its original, trademark rugged toughness. It’s a shame. I don’t have a problem with separate showering, especially with all the current health concerns, but I feel that this indicates that people are too squeamish and unaccepting of others, and they just can’t stomach even a small amount of discomfort.

[Mienarrr]

I went to an old traditional Onsen when I went to japan on holiday :) It was an amazing experience and one that I look back to very fondly! I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting :)

And no, believe me, no one stares at you.

[Vexstriker]

Part of it we’re living in the modern era,
Sad to see traditional areas is going away bit by bit.

[ririri]

I wish we had this here. I spend a whole day at an onsen facility in Kyoto and it was so relaxing

[eurostar]

Instead of a painting, they should make the whole wall a big screen and show video of nature and Mt. Fuji with natural sounds. That would be pretty cool.

[ikei_tokyorabbit]

It's true that there are fewer public bathhouse on the street after COVID-19, it's quite sad...

[hendrasutika]

Old-style-business like this has to renew itself and try to find innovative idea in order to attract younger generation come by.

[vividdaydream]

I wish bath houses were a thing here in America. Not only is does it look like a great way to relax, but having publicly available showers would be a massive boon for everyone experiencing housing difficulties. I's a lot harder to get out of that kind of situation the longer you're in it, because people can tell if you haven't showered in a while... which makes a bad impression during job interviews.

[渡海-qw]

Declining population, birthrate in the negatives, covid influx and economy stagnated for over 30 years now combine that with 50% of the youth not bearing child and depressive climate at work.
Finally one thing they can relax on
Onsen.
温泉♨

[strawberrymilkshake]

It's calm and joy until a confused blonde Roman dude suddenly just appeared in front of your eyes.

[myeongwol]

I had my first sento experience few years ago, and it was amazing! It would be a shame if sento extinct one day...

[sfittnei]

We recommend public baths in Ota Ward, Tokyo. There is a hot spring called Kuroyu.

[tarotbloom]

I would prefer such bath houses....nice