Sento - Public bath

In addition to standard Japanese sightseeing places such as Mt. Fuji, Asakusa, and Akihabara, the public bath called as “Sento” in Japanese language is popular among the foreign tourists. Sento is the public bathroom in Japan.

While the usage by the Japanese people has reduced, the “Naked socializing” from the olden days is reflecting in a fascinating way, to the extent of including it in the group tour for the foreigners by the travel agents.
In Tokyo, there is a public bath that is popular to the extent in which 20~30 foreign tourists visit it in a day, and it has gained popularity as a new tourist spot.

However, there is also some peculiar manners for the public bath.

◇It is not shameful
Bathing is by naked in the public bath. You may feel slightly shy, but all are bathing naked and you will not feel shy at all. From the past it is a custom that you get more intimate with your friends by taking bath together in the “Naked socializing”. Moreover, laughing and making fun about the body of your friend must not be done at all and it is not permitted.

◇Neatly fold the removed clothes
The basic manners is to neatly fold the removed clothes. This is not only for public bath.

◇Let's enter the bath after washing the body thoroughly.
Before getting into bath let us wash our body by scrubbing with the body towel using hot water in the wash basin, though it is ok if you don’t wash using the soap. Washing the back of the body of your friends and companion is also good thing.

◇Let's not waste the hot water and water
Excessive use of soap and shampoo leads to waste of hot water and water. Turning the shower towards other person is also a breach of manners.

◇Do not turn over or carry the towel to the bath
It is everyone's etiquette to take care of the cleanliness of hot water because the bath is used by many people. Do not put the towel in the hot water bathtub. Let's not dive in the bathtub and drink the water in bathtub as it may lead to accident and sickness.

◇Do not walk around the dressing room with wet body
When the floor is wet, it becomes slippery, and elderly person may fall down and hence let’s wipe the feet and body at the doorway of the bathroom when leaving the bath. When you let the body in wet condition for long time, you may catch cold.

The Japanese people enjoy the public bath while keeping all this in mind.