Vince F.
Yelp
I came here to relax and also to put myself outside of my comfort zone. I will never forget my time at the sento! For those looking for a walkthrough of how to enjoy your time here, I'll make it easy for you.
First off, let me just say that this facility is very clean and all the employees were extremely helpful. This is the only spa/sento I've been to, but it won't be the last.
When you walk in, you take off your shoes immediately and find a locker to your right. The available ones have a key in them. You're obviously going to want to take the key with you.
After that, you go through a gate and pay for whatever it is that you want. I just wanted to experience the sento. It was about 2400 yen, so it was a little bit expensive, but that was ok for me because I am on vacation. The employees speak basic English. I don't speak Japanese and I had no trouble.
Next, you go around the corner and there's a second desk where somebody gives you a basket with some common room clothes and a towel. They also give you a wristband that has a sensor in it that is used to open a locker in the locker room.
The locker room is on the same floor not far from there. Use the sensor wristband to open your locker. At this point, you're going to want to change into the common room clothing. You wear this in the hallways and until you get to upstairs. Leave the key for the shoe locker, your normal clothes, and any valuables in there.
Once on the second floor, you go to the men's spa room and find another locker to use. This locker is where you put the sensor wristband and the common room clothes. Yes, everyone is naked. No, nobody is looking at you. No, you don't need to shave or anything. The key to this locker is waterproof and can be taken into the baths. Don't bring the sensor wristband into the baths.
Side note: I'm not sure where you get it, but make sure you have a small towel with you. They give you a towel with the common room clothes, but I'm not sure if it's the same towel that you take into the baths. I made the mistake of going in there without one at first.
From there, you're going to want to rinse yourself before heading to the baths. The showers are in the same room as the baths and are through some sliding glass doors. Make sure it's thorough. It's sort of an etiquette thing.
Finally, you can enjoy the baths! There's a lot to choose from. I soaked in each one for about 5-10 minutes at a time with cold water bath rinses in between. It was an incredibly relaxing experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. They have, as others have said, a normal hot bath, a fizzy carbonated bath, a "silky" bath, a bath where you can lie down, a massage bath, and a cold bath. My favorite was the carbonated bath! If you're ever lost or unsure of how to proceed, just watch to see what the Japanese people are doing and follow suit.
Once you're done bathing (be careful not to overheat), you shower again, put your common room clothes back on, grab the sensor wristband, put your towel in the bin, leave the locker key in the locker, head downstairs, get changed into normal clothing, put the common room clothes and bag in bins, pay, turn in the sensor wristband, grab your shoes, and head out!
If you want to test your confidence and reward yourself with one of the most relaxing experiences of your life, come here. Worth it.
