51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - sento

 
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July 25, 2026
 

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SENTO

The interior of Ume-no-yu, a public bathhouse in the city of Nagano. Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to a storied Japanese institution: the sento, or traditional public bathhouse.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 2, 2026
Not even Japanese bathhouses are immune from shocks of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to the traditional public bathhouse.
As Tokyo's public bathhouses age, many are embracing more contemporary aesthetics to stay relevant for a younger class of customer.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 13, 2026
Where Tokyo goes to sweat and soak
To stay relevant and attract new customers, public bathhouses and saunas are trading weary grandeur for contemporary cool.
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) ¡ª a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 15, 2025
At Ginza¡¯s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
With ¡°onsen¡± baths in every room, Fufu Tokyo brings its modernized take on the traditional Japanese inn to the capital.
Local authorities in Tokyo are resorting to unconventional measures to raise voter turnout, including partnering with public bathhouses amid Japan¡¯s ongoing sauna boom and collaborating with high school students to create promotional materials.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 16, 2025
Tokyo teams up with bathhouses to boost voter turnout for assembly election
The previous election in 2021 showed a much lower turnout rate among younger demographics.
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it¡¯s gone.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 1, 2025
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan¡¯s bathhouses
The company is switching to paper cartons as a result of declining demand, environmental concerns and supply issues after its glass bottle supplier shut down.
Totopa in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Nov 25, 2024
Japan¡¯s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat
The modern sauna experience is more than just taking a seat in some steam ¡ª?whisking, aufguss shows and spectacle all play a part.
Single-use bathing wear that comes in the form of a blouse or a dress
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 6, 2023
Breast cancer survivors face tough time at public baths
It is customary in Japan not to take clothing or towels into the water at public baths, and some facilities make it a rule for hygienic reasons.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 8, 2023
A long and winding visit to ¡®secret¡¯ Ubayu Onsen
Secluded and remote hot springs are yet another example of Japan¡¯s deep bathing culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 16, 2023
¡®Yudo¡¯: A heartwarming ode to a good, old-fashioned soak
Masayuki Suzuki¡¯s film pays tribute to the neighborhood public bath with a rush of nostalgia and feel-good laughs.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 27, 2022
Stephanie Crohin: ¡®Public baths are a force for good when it comes to body positivity¡¯
When you enter a public bath, you leave your phone in a locker and the outside world behind. It¡¯s like stepping into a new world, and Stephanie Crohin is your ambassador.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 18, 2022
Warming up to onsen: The quirks and customs of public baths
Japan¡¯s hot spring baths are often on the to-do list of many tourists, just make sure you know the rules before heading inside.
Japan Times
LIFE
Aug 6, 2022
³§±ð²Ô³Ù¨­ Samaritans: The fight to save urban bathhouses
Were public bathhouses to vanish from Tokyo, Osaka and other cities across Japan, much more than hot water would be lost.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Sep 20, 2021
You never know who you¡¯ll run into at the public bath
Your local tattooed thugs, the old woman who is just a little bit too much in your business, who else will you meet at the neighborhood bathhouse?
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Nov 15, 2020
Japanese fashion tackles the issues of the moment
From practical masks and saving sento culture to provocative commentary on gender, brands and designers find their moment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 27, 2019
Rare views of Mount Fuji: Japan¡¯s last ²õ±ð²Ô³Ù¨­ artists
A dying craft, sentu014d (public bathhouse) painting now has just three artisans continuing the art form. Can interest in Japanese culture, sparked by the 2020 Olympics, help renew an appreciation for the stunning murals?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Oct 4, 2019
Good, clean dining in the alleyways of Shiba
Minutes from Tamachi Station, the area of Shiba, is a maze of weathered watering holes, chain restaurants, karaoke joints and gritty izakaya (Japanese pubs), like an east Tokyo version of Shinjuku¡¯s Golden Gai.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 6, 2018
Young operators turn to social media to revive Tokyo¡¯s sento neighborhood bathhouses
Younger operators of sento (public bathhouses) in Tokyo are breathing new life into the facilities, which have long helped residents in communities feel refreshed and relaxed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 13, 2018
Mural painter can¡¯t relax in bathhouses
Name: Mizuki Tanaka
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 2, 2017
Bathhouse offers ¡®Naked School¡¯ classes to lure younger bathers
A Tokyo bathhouse is offering classes on topics ranging from comedy to gaming in hopes of luring younger patrons and reviving the dying tradition of communal baths.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 5, 2016
Washed up? Tokyo¡¯s iconic communal bath houses face an uncertain future
Walking around Tokyo, you may have noticed a number of tall, narrow chimneys rising above the skyline every so often. Such stacks are a good indication that you¡¯ve stumbled across a sento, or communal bath house.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

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Longform

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By Alex K.T. Martin

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