September 19, 2024 A simple guide on how to use public sento By Arden Kreuzer Looking for a beginner’s guide to sento? Lots of people are eager to learn this when they visit or move to Japan. In the West, visiting a spa is typically marketed as a luxury experience. But in Japan, it’s a way of life–a tradition rooted in healing, calming and cleansing.
Because of the abundance of volcanoes dotted across the archipelago, Japanese people have been soaking in natural hot spring water for thousands of years. You might have encountered the terms “sento” and “onsen” before, but here’s the distinction–an onsen is a bathhouse with naturally heated mineral-rich water. In contrast, a sento uses regular tap water and can be found throughout cities.
Japanese sento and onsen have seen a huge comeback in recent years. Many have relaxed rules on tattoos, added saunas and cold plunges, expanded their services, and incorporated new technology like nano-bubble baths to draw in young people and international tourists to the age-old tradition. Young people in Japan are increasingly using these local neighborhood spots as a space for socializing and cleansing—and also as a solution to rising rents and small apartments.
Read more about this in our story Japan’s Surviving Sento. Visiting a Japanese bathhouse can be somewhat nerve-wracking the first time because a few etiquette rules must be followed. Keep in mind that most sento do not have private rooms available and are separa.