Walk into a traditional Japanese sentō and there's a good chance you'll find a huge mural behind the baths.

Most famously, it's Mount Fuji.

The tradition dates back to the early twentieth century, when bathhouses in growing cities wanted to create a stronger sense of space. A painted mountain, lake or coastline gave bathers the feeling of soaking beneath an open sky, even though they were inside a busy urban neighbourhood.

Over time, the murals became part of the sentō experience. Traditionally, they were painted directly onto the plaster walls by specialist mural artists, a craft that only a handful of painters continue today.

Not every bathhouse has one now, and modern designs often take a different approach. But many historic sentō still preserve these hand-painted murals, making them as much a part of the experience as the baths themselves.

It's a reminder that a bathhouse isn't simply a functional space. It's somewhere designed to transport you, if only for half an hour. Today, the murals remain one of the most recognisable features of the traditional Japanese sentō.

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

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