Society | Jan 19

Inside Tokyo's bath houses: Behind the scenes

Jan 19 (ONLY in JAPAN) - Bath houses in Japan have been a part of the culture for hundreds of years and in Tokyo, there are 600 of them in neighborhood all around the city.

At Japanese baths, you must be naked which is normal in Japan, but public bathing may be new some people. In Japan, there is an expression - hadaka no tsukiai (裸の付き合い) "we're all equal when naked" - so don't worry! We're here just to bathe and relax.

These bath houses called sento have evolved from their Showa era post war design to modern interiors that may surprise you. Some look like they're from sci-fi movies from the year 2050 and other have gone back in time to the 1920's Taisho era when everything was made out of wood and glass. The industry is under going big changes and there's never been a better time to experience Tokyo's sento culture than right now.


MORE Society NEWS

Pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has taken to social media to share the excitement of her first pregnancy.

Bloodstains have been found inside a car belonging to a 25-year-old man arrested over last week's discovery of two burnt bodies on a riverside north of Tokyo, investigative sources said Monday. (Kyodo)

The Nagoya District Court delivered a severe sentence on Monday to Mai Watanabe, 25, who operated under the alias "Itadakijoshi Riri-chan (Riri the sugar baby)" and was charged with fraudulently obtaining cash from men. She has been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 8 million yen.

POPULAR NEWS

A former host admitted to knowingly receiving approximately 25 million yen that had been deceitfully obtained by a woman known as "Top Girl Ririchan," in a trial held on April 23.

A cherry tree located at one of Kyoto's busiest pedestrian streets, Sanneizaka, a main pathway to Kiyomizu Temple, suddenly fell at 11:45 AM on Tuesday, trapping a school teacher beneath.

The biannual Spring Garden Party, hosted by the Emperor and Empress, took place at Tokyo's Akasaka Imperial Garden on Tuesday, with Princess Aiko gracing the event, warmly engaging with the guests.

The site of the former Tsukiji Market is set for a major transformation, including a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 people and a launch pad for flying cars.

The Nagoya District Court delivered a severe sentence on Monday to Mai Watanabe, 25, who operated under the alias "Itadakijoshi Riri-chan (Riri the sugar baby)" and was charged with fraudulently obtaining cash from men. She has been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 8 million yen.

FOLLOW US