Animated "THERMAE ROMAE"

I found animated version of popular bathing culture MANGA (cartoons), "Thermae Romae" with English subtitle on YouTube. Below is first episode aired in mid January this year.

Lucius, main character is an architect of Roman baths in ancient Roman Empire and accidentally time warps to present Japan. You can see how SENTO (public bath) in Japan looks like.




A movie version starring Hiroshi Abe will be released on 28 April, 2012. 

Related post: Bathing Culture MANGA "THERMAE ROMAE" (Mar 30 2010)

Jakotsuyu, Asakusa, Downtown Tokyo

The bathroom for men and ladies share the big wall painting of Mt. Fuji. The left wall divide men's bath.

Even if you're on a business trip to Tokyo and too busy to visit countryside of Japan, you can try onsen soaking in Asakusa, one of the major tourist traps in Tokyo. I wrote a post on the "Asakusa Kannon Onsen" in 2009 (see my post dated Apr. 24, 2009), and following is a complete guide of the another onsen, the "Jakotsuyu",　finished renovation in Dec.2009and highly recommended.

Follow the red arrow.

The Jakotsuyu" is a Sento - the public bath mainly for local residents but welcomes everybody; young and old, men and women, with or without tattoos.

First hurdle is finding it. You can't see the Jakotsuyu itself on Google Street View as it faced on a narrow alley a car can't enter. I almost get lost whenever I visit. See the linked map below before starting and search left side of the "MacDonald Asakusa ROX Branch" very carefully at the spot. You'll find green small sign written 蛇骨湯 (Jakotsuyu) in white. You can see this sign on the Street View.

A part of the vending machine. Read carefully and buy tickets you need.

On arrival, remove your shoes at the entrance, put them in the shoes locker, then buy your bathing ticket at the vending machines. Don't worry. They carry multilingual signs; in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.

If you need a soap - there are no complementary soaps there, and towel rent/buyout, or use of the Sauna Room, buy the additional designated tickets at the machines. Actually you don't have to bring anything for bathing. They sell "empty-handed set" consists of shampoo, soap, razor, hand towel.

The dressing room for men. It's rather new as renovated in late 2009. Keep your key on your list all the time.

Proceed to the gender separated dressing rooms. Put your clothes and belongings in a locker, and keep the key with you all the time. Enter the gender separated bathroom in your birthday suite.

The bathrooms are typical sento (public bath) style with big wall paintings of Mt. Fuji. The big difference is the hot springs - accurately heated natural mineral springs, each bath tub including cold water bath are filled with mineral springs. They are slightly brow/bronze, and very smooth. Shower water is also mineral springs.

Indoor  Bath for ladies.

Indoor Bath for men.

Semi open-air bath for ladies.

Space of the semi open-air bath for men is bigger.

There is a tiny Japanese garden at the semi open-air bath for men only.

Washing space. Tap with red sign is hot water, blue one is cold water and the one without color is for the shower. The showers above the mirrors are installed to the walls.

◆Jakotsuyu （蛇骨湯）

Help yourself washing bowls and stools.

Type: Gender Separated Public Bath

Address: 1-11-11 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Business hour: 1:00 PM to 0:00 AM

Holiday: Tuesday (If national holiday falls on Tuesday, following weekday)

Admission fee: ¥450 for adult, ¥180 for 6-12 year-old, ¥80 for below 6 year-old.

The courtesy PC

Equipment: Washing bowls, stools, lockers. There is an internet connected PC (you can use 15 minutes maximum) and iPhone charger at the lounge.


Access: Within walking distance from Asakusa Station ,Takawamachi Station, Senso-ji and other main tourist spots of Asakusa.

Geocode for Google Map: 35.712058, 139.792584

Link : Map in English

Entrance of the Jakotsuyu.

This post is written with full cooperation of the Jakotsuyu. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.