Japan refurbished public bathrooms

The traditional Japanese public bathhouse is wearing a new look when opening more yoga classes or equipped with vinyl records to attract visitors.

Inside public bathhouse Kogane-yu in Tokyo, Japan. (Source: Nikkei Asia) Yoga or vinyl is not a typical feature of sento – the typical public bathhouse in the country of cherry blossoms. But now, this new breeze is necessary for Shimbo Takuya, the owner of two bathrooms in Tokyo. Shimbo, 41, is the third owner of Daikoku-yu, a 71-year public bathhouse north of Tokyo. Three years ago, he and his wife, Tomoko, took over Kogane-yu, the old bathhouse five minutes’ walk away. Now, as 95% of Japanese build bathrooms at home, the number of customers using public bath services is shrinking and many sento are closed. Even so, Shimbo’s boss still believes that sento will not be completely eliminated from the Japanese life. New ideas like selling groceries or opening the door of Mr. Shimbo’s Daikoku-yu bathroom all night before the Covid-19 pandemic attracted 800 customers a day. So he decided to completely change the Kogane-yu facility. Although built with new concrete, golden wood and tiled, Kogane-yu retains the core elements of the classic sento, such as the changing room, the noren cloth dividing each room, the rows of low showers. and separate large bathrooms, of course, the brilliant picture of Mt.Fuji is indispensable. “I use vinyl music for my sento, which is the start of a great conversation between young and old guests,” said Shimbo. I really feel that sento can play an important role in connecting clients. People in Tokyo in particular and Japan in general always love bath culture ”. In Japan, sento is not just for bathing, it is a place for the community, a place for people to relax, chat. With the work pressure on the young Phu Tang, sento will become the ideal place to relieve stress and build more relationships. Glory (According to Nikkei Asia)