A sentō may seem like a simple proposition: somewhere to wash, soak and spend a little time. But travel across Japan and the details begin to change.

Two of Japan’s great cities, Tokyo and Osaka, developed subtly different bathing traditions.

In a traditional Tokyo sentō, the baths are usually arranged along the back wall of the bathing room. Look above them and you may find another Tokyo hallmark: a great painted mural, often of Mount Fuji.

In Osaka, the baths traditionally sit in the centre of the room instead. Painted murals are less characteristic; durable tile pictures are more common.

Even the humble oke (the small wash bowl found beside the bathing stools) reveals a regional difference. Tokyo bathers traditionally used larger bowls, suited to filling from the taps. Osaka bowls tended to be smaller, reflecting the custom of scooping water directly from the bath.

None of these differences changes the fundamental ritual. You undress, wash thoroughly, then enter the hot water.

But they are a reminder that there is no single blueprint for a Japanese bathhouse. Sentō have been shaped by their neighbourhoods, their buildings and the habits of the people who use them, evolving differently from city to city, while preserving the same simple ritual of washing and soaking.

Yū Bathhouse is bringing the traditions of Japanese bathing to Britain.

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