Sento 銭湯

Last Sunday, after a bit of climbing, I went off in search of a local sento [銭湯], a Japanese public bath, similar to an Onsen [温泉] but with out the water being heated geothermally... it's just heated tap water. They tend to be a lot cheaper than onsen [温泉], mainly due to subsidy from the local ward office ('ku', く,　区). Ones in our ward (Bunkyo-ku [文京区]) are set to be 430yen for adults...

So, with my muscles in need of relaxing, I toddled on the bike to the nearest one. The entrance to the sento was just like the photos, with the coloured curtains draped over the entrance...I took off my shoes at the entrance and popped them into the nearby lockers (taking out a very strange wooden key) Then went over to the front desk, where the guy asked for only 100yen (I don't know why....it may be a discount for residents of the ward...and I assume not many people come to sento from outside the ward at 1030pm).

After entering the Ladies door, I find another locker...but this time for my clothes (and yes you have to do some public-ish nudity) time for a shower. It's probably useful to note, that unlike onsen, you are expected to bring your own soaps and conditioners...I saw most of the ladies with plastic baskets of their washing paraphanalia, and they don't provide hairdryers either. Like the onsen, you also have to bring your own towel...

Anyway, there were even showers there, and there were 3 tubs: one with no thermometer and a place to sit where you will have your back, calves and feet massaged by jets of hot water (this was VERY relaxing - once I managed to ease my self into the hot water...) and this was the coolest tub.

Next to that there was a Jacuzzi-like tub with constant bubbles all over, and a thermometer reading a minimum temp of 40deg celcius, and the tub next to that was lit with a red light and a thermometer reading 45degrees and a warning that it was very hot. (I didn't go near it - mainly because I wanted to leave with all my skin intact)

and the link to the sentos Bunkyo-ku is HERE