Matsu no Yu - Relax In Chiba Prefecture's Most Historical Japanese Sento!

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Recently, newly-renovated sentos, or public baths, have increased in metropolitan areas. In rural regions, however, there are still many traditional and historical bathhouses remaining. This article introduces Matsu no Yu, a charming and welcoming sento.

Written by

戸坂

千葉県勝浦市で市議会議員として活動中。日本の田舎は少子高齢化などの要因で元気をなくし、悲観的になっています。しかし、まだまだ知られていない様々な「財産」の宝庫でもあります。地域に根ざす身近な政治家として、故郷である勝浦市はもちろん、日本の田舎が持つ素晴らしい「財産」を、広く世界に向けて発信していきたいと思います！

The shower area of a sento

Have you ever been to a sento?

A sento is a public bathhouse. Recently, in Tokyo and other large cities, there has been an increase in the number of newly-renovated sentos.

However, if you go to the countryside even now, traditional sento culture is still thriving. There are still many historical, charming, and well-preserved bathhouses remaining. In contrast to the modern bathhouses in the cities, here you can encounter the region's local flavor and daily life.

This particularly holds true for Matsu no Yu, the bathhouse featured in this article. Found in Chiba prefecture's Katsuura city, it is located beside a port. It is a type of sento not commonly seen in Tokyo.

Inside the sento, the local fishermen smile and chat with other visitors. When you leave the bath, the fragrance of the refreshing sea breeze fills the air.

Next, we'll introduce what is special about Katsuura's traditional sento, Matsu no Yu, and also provide some pointers on how best to use the facility.

Matsu No Yu - Chiba's Most Historical Sento

To get to Chiba prefecture's Katsuura city, a sea breeze-scented port town, it takes about ninety minutes by limited express train, and around two hours by car from Tokyo.

When you descend the steps from the train station, the air is filled with the port town's characteristic ocean fragrance.

Katsuura city is home to Matsu no Yu, Chiba prefecture's oldest sento.

Matsu no Yu is just ten minutes on foot from Katsuura Station. It is located in a back alley, near the street where the Katsuura Morning Market has been held for more than 400 years, in a two-story wooden structure more than 100 years old.

Let's go inside.

Matsu no Yu has two separate entrances. The left entrance is for men (otokoyu), and the right entrance is for women (onnayu) from the front.

What will you find when you open the entrance's sliding door?

You will come across a bandai, an elevated seat where the sento employees take the admission fee, unchanged after all these years. For a long time they have continued to keep a watchful eye on this bathhouse's history.

Here we'll pay the sento fee (cash only accepted) to the banto-san (staff member). Matsu no Yu's admission fee is 410 yen for adults, 170 yen for children, and 70 yen for pre-schoolers.

At Matsu no Yu, shampoo is not provided, so please bring your own. However, you can borrow soap, towels, shaving razors.

After paying and removing your shoes, you will find the changing room in front of you.

The wooden lockers, old-style scale, massage chair, and a refrigerator stocked with fruit flavored milk drinks, exudes a retro-like atmosphere.

There aren't any partitions or walls, so from the bandai there's a fully exposed view of the facility, a characteristic of older bathhouses.

Originally, sentos were places of rest and relaxation for townspeople, where visitors were friendly and open with each other, regardless of their position or rank in society. We think you will feel a similar way at Matsu no Yu, where this sento tradition is still alive.

After removing your clothing in the change room, everyone at Matsu no Yu is a friend.

Next, put your clothing into one of the wooden lockers.

These lockers have been maintained since the sento first opened for business. Since the lockers don't lock, have your wallet, cell phone, and other valuables looked after by the staff member at the bandai (entrance area).

Let's Enjoy the Sento!

Now it's finally time to enter the public bath. Be sure to keep in mind the following:

1. Before entering the bath, completely wash yourself in the shower area.
2. When you enter the bath, don't put your towel or tenugui (small hand cloth) into the bath water.
3. Once inside the bath, don't wash your body and don't splash around in the water.

If you can remember these three rules, you'll be fine in the public bath.

First-time sento users might feel a little anxious. However, if you just remember the fundamental purpose of a bathhouse is to be a place where you soak yourself in hot water and relax your body, then you'll have nothing to worry about!

After completely washing your body in the shower, step into the bath and soak, and then just let go and enjoy the experience of the hot water.

The hot water at Matsu no Yu is special. Every day, firewood is burned, used to boil the well water, which is then poured into the bath area.

This method has remained unchanged since the sento first opened requires a significant amount of time and effort.

Obtaining just the firewood itself is a difficult job. First, the firewood must be cut into the right size. After being cut, it's burned in a boiler. While the firewood is being constantly replenished, the water temperature is adjusted to an appropriate temperature which must be constantly maintained.

The hot water, which is carefully boiled and then poured into the bath, is very soft on the skin and warms the body's core.

Let's Experience a Traditional Sento!

Once your body is nice and warm, you can relax and let the tension slowly melt away. A smile will naturally appears on your face!

The local fishermen, university students, neighborhood seniors, and the other regular customers will often come up and chat with you.

Katsuura city is an old port town, so many sento visitors speak with a local dialect. Some of you might be worried about communicating.

However, in the warm and friendly confines of this bathhouse, everyone is friendly, and the language barrier isn't such a big concern.

Please enjoy this traditional sento's warm and welcoming atmosphere that can rarely be experienced at a bathhouse in Tokyo!

You can, of course, have a fun experience at a modern and beautiful sento in the city. However, bathing at Matsu no Yu is a unique opportunity to experience sento culture at a traditional bathhouse in rural Japan.

Matsunoyu

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In cooperation with Matsu no Yu

Written by

戸坂

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