Q6:YU(SENTO)

YU means a SENTO, which is a Japanese public bath. SENTO has become common in the Edo period(1603-1867) and even now there are thousands of SENTO in Japan.

In Japan, almost all people take a bath every day. Because Japan is a humid country, it make them sweaty, so they have to take a bath or shower for their health maintenance. Most of them have a bathtub and a shower in their house, but they love public baths also. One reason is that they can use very big bathtub, 20 to 30 people can use it together , there. And another reason is that public baths are a kind of gathering place, where they can talk with their neighbors casually and comfortably because they are all naked.

A link to a Japanese site(in English):"About 'Sento' - Tokyo Sento Association"

The charge is around 400 yen, and you can also take a sauna and a cold bath there. A cold bath is not tepid water but truly cold water. People use a cold bath after taking a sauna, because it improves the circulation of the blood and makes them healthy. After a bath, you can buy some drinks, a Cafe au lait is very popular, and can watch TV and read a newspaper or some magazines. That's a very comfortable time.

There are also other kinds of public baths such as "Super SENTO" and "KENKO Land". A Super SENTO is a more big and luxury public bath. You can soak in a outdoor hot tub or a hot spring(ONSEN), and can eat foods in a restaurant and get a massage service. A KENKO Land, KENKO means health, is a kind of spa, where you can swim in a pool and work out at a gym.

These kinds of public baths are more and more popular lately, and there are some theme parks featuring baths like Hakone Yunessun, where you can take a wine bath and a coffee bath and so on. Thus, taking a bath is not only a custom for health but also a kind of amusement for the Japanese people.








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