Tokyo’s sento bath revival heats up further with the opening of this authentic ‘Showa retro’-style public bath down in the first basement floor of Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado. At this outpost of long-established Koenji neighbourhood sento Kosugi-yu, a ‘widescreen’ mural of majestic Mt Fuji (a staple of traditional sento) flanks several baths. Each one flows with water whose carefully considered temperatures have been soothing the bodies and souls of Tokyoites for decades.
A truly ‘hot water’ bath, at a temperature of 42-43°C, is complemented by a ‘milk bath’ whose more moderately warm water gives a soft sensation as it touches the skin, and a cold bath which coincidentally aligns with the current wellness trend for low-temperature immersion. Another more compact bath is sized for just two or three people, making it ideal for unwinding with close companions.
This entire floor of Harakado is themed along the lines of the streets that typically surround sento baths, with a stand from iconic brewer Sapporo enabling the time-honoured practice of a cold apres-bath beer.