Sentō — The Neighbourhood Bath
A sentō is a public bath house using city water heated to a regulated temperature (42–44°C in most Tokyo establishments). Entry is ¥500–600 at the standard city rate. You purchase a ticket at the entrance, receive a small basket for your belongings, and proceed to the gender-separated changing room. There is typically a large main bath, a smaller hot bath, a cold plunge, and increasingly often a sauna (additional charge).
What to bring: a small towel (sold at most sentō if you forget), soap and shampoo (also available to purchase), and nothing else. Lockers are usually free with a coin deposit. The actual bathing experience: wash thoroughly at the individual shower stations before entering any of the baths — this is the cardinal rule. Never enter the communal bath without washing first.
The best sentō experience in Tokyo: Daikoku-yu in Katsushika (a Taisho-era hall with painted murals and beautiful tilework), Thermae-Yu in Shinjuku (a modern multi-floor facility with different mineral water baths, convenient for tourists), Kogane-yu in Koenji (a beloved neighbourhood sentō with excellent sauna, popular with locals and younger visitors).
Onsen — Natural Hot Springs in Tokyo
Tokyo sits above volcanic geology and has several genuine onsen using naturally heated mineral water. Saya-no-Yudokoro in Setagaya is one of the finest — a Shōwa-era building using dark sodium chloride water from a 1,500-metre deep well, with an excellent outdoor bath overlooking a garden. Shimizu-yu in Minami-Aoyama is a contemporary redesign of an old neighbourhood sentō using natural spring water — remarkable for its Aoyama location and design quality. La Qua at Tokyo Dome City is a large commercial facility using genuine onsen water — more resort-like but convenient and high-quality.
Bathing Etiquette — Complete Rules
Wash before entering any bath. This is absolute. Use the shower stations provided — wash your entire body with soap before getting in the communal water. No swimwear in traditional sentō — bathing is done naked. (Some modern facilities have swimwear zones but traditional sentō do not.) No towels in the water — your small towel stays outside the bath or on your head folded. No photography ever — the changing rooms and baths are absolutely off-limits for photography. Tattoo policy: Many sentō and onsen prohibit visible tattoos — check the specific establishment's policy before going.
Our Recommended Places
What to bring: Small towel, soap, shampoo. All available to buy at the entrance for ¥100–300 if you forget. Large towels for drying are rented or sold at most facilities.
Tattoo policy: Traditional sentō and onsen often refuse visibly tattooed visitors. Thermae-Yu and La Qua are tattoo-friendly. Always check the establishment's website before visiting.
Sauna culture: Tokyo's sauna scene has boomed. Many sentō now have excellent saunas — the protocol is sauna, cold plunge, rest (called 'totonou' — achieving the post-sauna meditative state). This cycle repeated 3 times is the standard approach.
After bathing: The traditional post-bath drink is a small glass bottle of cold milk — available from the vending machines in most sentō changing rooms. This custom has existed since the postwar period and is entirely worth maintaining.