Friday, October 27, 2006

Why not taking Sento, public bath, if you go to Japan?


Do you happen to see the mark on the top of this sign board?

This mark shows Onsen or Sento and both are public bath. The hot water in Onsen contains some minerals and very good for health. And the water in Sento is just the tapping water or well water.

In Onsen and Sento, unlike Germany or Switzerland, people don't wear anything. People are all in buff just like taking a bath at home.

If you go to Japan, why not try Onsen or Sento? But be careful for men not to enter the bath for women and vice versa.

Here is 12 steps to enjoy the bath and six rules to enjoy the bath.

12 steps to enjoy the bath (I think that it is a usual way.)
Necessary stuffs: soap, towel, shampoo and some changes
1. Take off your shoes at the entrance and put them in a shoe box.
2. Pay the fee.
3. Put off your clothes in dressing area and put them in a small box with key.
4. Go to bath area with towel, soap, shampoo and something to wash with.
5. Wash yourself a little with hot water, sitting on a tiny chair in front of faucet.
6. Soak yourself in a hot bath. (it is 42-43 degrees centigrade (or 107-109 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tokyo and a little low in Osaka and Kyoto.)
7. Wash yourself with soap and shampoo in front of faucet after soaking.
8. Soak yourself in a hot bath again.
9. Splash not-so-hot water on your body not to break a sweat, if you want.
10. Return to the dressing area after you wipe yourself off.
11. Change into something new.
12. Go out to drink beer!!

Six rules to take sento, public bath
1.Take off your underwear when taking into bath space.
2.Wash yourself before getting into the tub.
3.Keep your towel out of the tub.
4.Don't use the shower while standing up, but use it while sitting down on the tiny chair.
5.Don't wash your clothes or underwears in the bath area.
6.Wipe yourself off before going out to the dressing area.

6 Comments:

At 5:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Macky,
So many rules! Imagine the Onsen or Sento are in Singapore...they will probably have at least 36 rules? :-) Can't find the marks you referred to, but do the 3 characters (in Chinese mean "golden spring bath") have the same meaning in Japanese? So many interesting things you tell us about you wonderful city. I enjoy your photos a lot too.

 
At 11:13 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Macky,

Wow. This post is so informative. But I think the water is a bit too hot for me :-)

 
At 11:21 AM, Blogger Fatima Vinagre said...

Thanks! I love learn more about other cultures. See you!

 
At 4:24 PM, Blogger JaamZIN said...

I like the culture of baths. Budapest has a lot of baths and spas too. It is worth to visit them:)

 
At 5:11 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

w, keropok man, fatima vinagre and zsolt72
thanks for your comments:-)

w: Thank you for enjoying my blog. Yes, this means golden spring bath. But this is just place name.
keropok man: Yes, it was too hot for me for the first time.
fatima vinagre: Thank you!!
zsolt72: Really? When I go to Budapest some day, I will happy to take bath or spa there!!

 
At 7:52 PM, Blogger Jazzy said...

i have never had a chance to take a bath in a public bath but would try it one day when i come to Tokyo.
have a good weekend.

 

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