WB072: Sentō Encounters | Part 2

A common fixture in sentō change rooms is a bodyweight scale. I am not entirely sure when this became the case, but I guess back in the day weighing scales, like baths, were not common in households.

A bodyweight scale doesn't look terribly out of place in a Japanese sentō, as Japanese are fairly health-aware and also obsessed about collecting and analysing data.

Every now and then, it doesn't hurt to check your body weight, especially if you've been adopting a new diet or improved lifestyle. You're going to get naked anyway, so might as well take the chance to get an accurate bodyweight reading.

Speaking of bodyweight, the irezumi (Japanese: 刺青)-covered group of "yakuza" gentlemen huddled around the cold bath area happened to be discussing their body weight. A little anti-climatic for a bunch of tough-looking guys.

Boys will be boys, I guess.

As I soaked in the jet bath - it's like a jet-equipped jacuzzi - a man in his 50's with mid-length hair entered the bath area. He was short, tanned and wore spectacles. I remember seeing him a few weeks before.

He trudged towards a shower stall with a fully-kitted sentō-set. This set comprised full-sized toiletries (soap and shampoo) packed into one of those small baskets you can buy from a 100-yen shop.

He sat in the same spot as he did last time, flipped over the Kerorin (Japanese: ケロリン) bucket and used it as a stool. I found very amusing. He must be a contrarian in life, always looking to deviate from the norm.

Was the Kerorin bucket more comfortable than the provided stools? I wasn't entirely sure, though I quickly made a mental note to give the underside of the next Kerorin bucket I get a thorough wash.

So far, I have observed two types of regulars: those, like me, who prefer to travel light by bringing travel-sized toiletries and a small waterproof bag. There are then regulars like this man who lug their full-sized shampoo and soap bottles all the way from home. This was probably what it was like in the old days when the sentō was the only place you could shower.

In this modern day and age it might appear cumbersome. But come to think of it, at home everyone uses their preferred soap, shampoo and showering product. And if the sentō is where you shower daily, then it is worth the hassle.

Around 20 minutes had elapsed, and I had completed two soaking cycles of the hot and cold water baths.

Quite remarkably, this man was still cleaning himself.

He looked like a white snowman - his whole body and face covered in bubbly soap foam. Every now and then, he would create more foam by adding soap to his bath towel and rubbing it together.

He scrubbed himself fastidiously, leaving no spot unturned. This shower routine, probably honed over the years, included scrubbing his feet and wiping the webs between his toes and fingers.

In my mind, this is probably what it looks like if a stress-filled person can "scrub away" his or her stress. And boy would it be a great feeling once you're done.

I've come to observe other regulars like this man who go through a similar showering routine in the sentō. In fact, they spend very little time soaking, and more time showering.

Every now and then, these regulars would wash off the soap on their body and hop in the bath for a quick soak. After this, they would wash themselves again.

I've never seen people pay so much attention to cleaning themselves. I guess once you've paid the JPY550 entry fee, you might as well make full use of the unlimited supply of piping hot water, soap and shampoo.

After a thorough shower and soak, rest assured a good night's slumber awaits.

--Ends