A public bath house in a lively shopping street

Published: November 14, 2016

Here I am, in the shopping street at Chuo-dori, Kameido 5-chome, where, as the shop names’ neon signs light up in the twilight, people come to relax in the oasis-like Takanoyu.

Well, what types of baths are there in Takanoyu ?

 

 

There are three different kinds of baths. They are an electric current bath whose stimulation gives us a pleasant feeling, a vibration bath whose bubbles give the whole body an efficacious massage, and a supersonic wave medical bath (the hot water was a white color, the day I went)

 

The owner sets the temperature at 42 degrees Celsius, which is not too hot for first- timers, though some people still feel it is too hot. However, most of the customers feel this temperature is the best.

 

The medical bath is set at a lower temperature for children and people who are not keen on the very hot water, so they can feel at ease when they climb in.

 

 

A colored tiled wall picture which helps us to escape from everyday life.

 

The scenery in Takanoyu’s colored tiled wall picture reminds us of Europe.
The old castle painted on the wall looks as though a princess or knight will appear, and, for a second, makes us almost forget our real lives…

 

 

↑This is the men’s bathroom.

The colored tiled picture continues into the women’s bathroom. And this is the women’s bathroom.↓

 

 

On the glass door and partition between the washing space and the changing room is a European style picture created by sandblasting.

 

 

 

 

Well then, I have come back from the dreamy European style space to the real life… This is the front desk.

 

 

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Koichi Kobayashi, the second generation owners, and their pet corgi “Happy” (female, 10 years old)

 

“Happy” is a friendly dog, well known to the regular customers.

 

 

Today also she’s so friendly; even though this is the first time for her to meet me♪

 

The three generations of the Kobayashi family are all fond of railways. There is a display of a model railway made by his son and photographs by Mr. Kobayashi, whose hobby it is, so the front desk area is just like a gallery, which you shouldn’t miss.