Fuku no yu (ふくの湯) is located in Bunkyo-ku near Hon-Komagome and Sendagi stations. It has been restored in 2011 by the architect Imai Kentaro, specialized in public bath renovation. Indeed he feels very concerned by the fate of the sento, unfortunately less and less frequently use by Japanese people. He gives them a second life, turning them a modern way while keeping the traditional atmosphere.
The Facilities
As the design of the two bathrooms are different, it rotates everyday between men and women. A ‘classic’ and massage bath bath are in both sides, and only in one side, you can enjoy a small aromatic bath for 1 to 2 people.
Design
As I briefly mentioned before, this sento is a brilliant mix between divergent periods. The specific use of materials illustrates the concept: an association of traditional wood and modern mosaic. By exposing a beautiful collaboration between 2 distinct artists, the wall paint also emphasizes the harmonized cohabitation of two worlds: Nakajima-san who drawn until now more than 500 Fuji-san, and the graffiti-artist Gravity Free . On each side you can admire a paint of the Fuji-san, one red and the other traditional blue. Gravity Free painted a fresco of the Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神, “Shichi Fukujin”). You can also enjoy a gorgeous mosaic of a Japanese pine. There is another particularity in this sento in the ordering of the lockers, it uses the old classification in ‘Iroha’. I let you refer to Wikipedia for more information.
Open hours
11:00am to 0.00am, every day. From 08.00am week-end and national holiday.
All the pictures of this article have been kindly sent by KENTARO IMAI ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
This post is also available in: Japanese