Tokyo's sakura season is in full swing, but the hordes at the Meguro River, Yoyogi Park or Chidorigafuchi might be a bit too much to bear for those looking for a more serene hanami experience.
Enter the Sakurakan sento: this old-school public bathhouse down in Ota-ku's allows you to ogle at the pink and white flowers while going for a refreshing soak.
Opened in 1959, Sakurakan is set in a quiet residential area and is rather easy to spot with its green-painted exterior. Admission prices are similar to your average sento: ¥460 for adults, ¥180 for children of elementary school age – but you're getting a whole lot more than an average experience for your money.
Popular with locals for quite some time now, Sakurakan's high ceilings, big windows and an open roof mean you'll be able to spot the bathhouse's cherry blossom tree while you soak and scrub yourself clean. The sento has recently been featured on Japanese TV and various websites, leading to an increase in patronage, but there's still enough room for everyone.
To actually see the tree and its magnificent blossoms, you're best off in the outdoor bath (rotenburo) on the ground floor, or at the eat-in space upstairs. The former boasts colonnade-high walls and big windows, and the branches of the cherry tree span wide enough to virtually extend into the building.
As one of the regulars, who has been frequenting Sakurakan for over a decade, put it: 'The sakura petals float through the air and land in the tub when in full bloom. There really is no greater luxury in life – it's a similar warming sensation as drinking alcohol, and something you can't do at any other public bathhouse.' Now that's a recommendation.
If you're already bathed and lathered but still want to admire the blossoms some more, head to the second floor, where you can see the tree from the window. You won't go hungry here either, as the on-site café serves anything from a simple glass of beer to more substantial fare like mapo dofu, gyoza and 'modanyaki' (a kind of okonomiyaki) to properly line your stomach. There's even a karaoke set on the premises, so you can really pull out all the stops.
And even in case you head here after blossom season is already over, Sakurakan has plenty to offer. Check out the open-roofed bath, where you can quite literally bathe beneath the stars, or try out the range of different baths (from electrically powered ones to ones with medicinal properties) on the ground floor.
If you're lucky enough to visit while the tree is in bloom, prepare for a sight to behold. The tree itself was planted in 1990, the same year that Sakurakan last underwent extensive renovations, and has reached local cult status ever since. Join some of the regulars who come from as far afield as Hachioji and soak in a sakura-covered bath – you still have a few days left to make it over.
See full details for Sakurakan here
