TOKYO -- Amid declining numbers of Japanese public baths, which have long been social places where bathers can exchange their "bare" thoughts, new facilities overturning conventional images of Japanese "sento" have been cropping up, including a Tokyo bath opening a beer bar and another selling pizza fresh from the oven.

       In August 2020, the public bath "Koganeyu" in Sumida Ward's Taihei district, just a stone's throw from Tokyo Skytree, reopened after refurbishments. Visitors entering the facility are greeted by a stylishly designed reception with adjacent beer bar. Its original Koganeyu craft beer is 600 yen (about $5.25) a glass and has become an irresistible hit among visitors looking to enjoy a cold one after soaking in a steaming bath.

       The bathhouse has been run by Takuya Shinbo, 42, and his wife Tomoko, 43 -- who operate the local Oshiage Onsen Daikokuyu bath nearby in the same ward -- since 2018, after Koganeyu's previous owner, who was advancing in years, approached them about taking over the facility. Behind their decision was a strong desire to stop even just one more public bath closing its doors for good.

       Upon taking charge of Koganeyu, the couple racked their brains over how to retain the bath's function as a social place for successive generations.

       They realized that people often want a beer after getting out of the bath, and that it could lead to conversation between visitors. They renovated the area near the reception to create a "bandai" bar -- a reference to the owner's elevated seat in a traditional bathhouse. A staff member suggested playing records there, reasoning that the odd pairing of a public bath and records could draw attention. "I want to continue doing things by trial and error so we can leave behind some good old bath culture," Shinbo said.

       Another bath in the capital popular for its unconventional approach to service is Kamata Fukunoyu in the Kamata district of Tokyo's Ota Ward. Setting it apart is its freshly baked homemade pizzas sold on weekends and public holidays.

       Kenji Okazaki, 40, is the third-generation operator of the bath. He originally ran a ramen restaurant, but his love of pizza meant he longed to open a pizzeria. Then, 16 years ago, he inherited the public bath his mother's family had run.

       Fourth-generation operator of the Kamata Fukunoyu public bath Kenji Okazaki is seen at the establishment in Tokyo's Ota Ward on Nov. 16, 2021. He has installed an oven behind the counter to bake pizza. (Mainichi/Kazuo Yanagisawa)

       Okazaki learned pizza baking techniques from books and the internet, and didn't want his knowledge to go to waste. He decided to renovate the aging Fukunoyu building, and installed a pizza oven behind the counter.

       Now he offers five types of pizza made with the fermented pizza dough he has perfected, ranging from margherita to mixed flavors. Small pizzas sell for 500 yen (roughly $4.37) and large ones at 1,000 yen (approx. $8.74) each. While some customers order a pizza after a bath, the business is seeing more fans coming just for the pizzas. He sells about 30 to 50 pizzas a day.

       "I wanted to offer something cheap and delicious. It's hard to run a public bath and pizza operation at the same time, but it's what I wanted to do so I intend to keep at it," he said.

       Another renovated bath that reopened in September 2021 is the Kanamachiyu public bath in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, which boasts a 78-year history. Fourth-generation operator Shintaro Yamada, 30, a former office worker, is striving to find a new form of public bath.

       Yamada's 61-year-old father Masatomo was considering shutting down the bathhouse due to falling customer numbers, but an event at the Takarayu public bath in the Senjumotomachi district of Tokyo's Adachi Ward around three years ago prompted the younger Yamada to take over the business. It was an art exhibition called "Kerorin Museum." Kerorin is the brand name of a painkiller sold by a pharmaceutical company in the central Japan prefecture of Toyama, and bath buckets featuring the company's logo were symbolic of Showa era (1926-1989) public baths.

       At the event, Kerorin buckets were stacked to form pyramids and other shapes. Yamada says his eyes were opened to public baths' possibilities.

       Shintaro Yamada, right, and his wife Kana, prepare at the counter of the Kanamachiyu public bath before opening on Sept. 24, 2021. T-shirts with the public bath's original design are on the counter. (Mainichi/Kazuo Yanagisawa)

       Yamada searched the internet for ingenious public baths and decided to take the challenge of running a public bath when he turned 30, and quit his job at a company to take over the business. When renovating the building, which has stood for a little over 60 years, he had an event space made between the counter and changing rooms. While preserving the public bath's rustic elements, such as a wall clock and lattice ceiling, he tried to create a new space for bathers. With his wife Kana, 31, he designed a new, simple logo, and promotes the bath on Twitter and Instagram.

       Since reopening, it has welcomed new visitors and regulars, and Yamada has heard customers say it is now cleaner and easier to bathe there. "I'd like to convey the wonders of public bath culture to many people and have them think, 'I want to come to this town because Kanamachiyu is there,'" he said.

       According to the All Japan Association of Public Bathhouses and Environmental Hygiene Services (Zenyokuren), based in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, a total of 17,999 public bathhouses were registered with the association in 1968, but as of 2021 it was just 1,964. Meanwhile, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government survey found there were 963 public baths in the capital as of December 2006, but by the end of December 2020 the figure had nearly halved to 499.

       A major cause of the decrease is that since Japan entered a period of high economic growth, it has become commonplace for homes to have their own showers and baths. Public baths, meanwhile, have struggled to find people to take over the facilities, and the huge repairs costs have forced some out of business. Recently, the coronavirus pandemic has driven customers away, and more bathhouses are seeing their earnings plunge.

       Zenyokuren head Shinichi Uno said, "Some people still need public baths, such as those who don't have a bath at home, and people who have one but whose immobility makes it difficult for them to clean it. There are also safety merits, too, because if a person feels unwell while bathing, there are others (other bathers and staff) to keep an eye on them. Public baths have been places of communication since long ago, and I hope many people will continue using them in future."

       (Japanese original by Kazuo Yanagisawa, Tokyo Bureau)

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