| There is historical evidence that suggests sento
were in operation in what is now Tokyo as early as 1590. These baths were generally
outfitted with rooms for customers to relax after getting clean, and they served
as social gathering spots in those days. These early facilities, however, were
steam rooms more like today's saunas; it was not until the 1600s that tubs for
soaking made their appearance. Even then the tubs were rather small in size, a
fact that illustrated the value of water as a resource back then. It was only
in the Meiji period (1868-1912) that sento started
being constructed along modern lines, with spacious washing and bathing areas
and high ceilings.
The few surviving sento from the prewar era look
almost like traditional temples or shrines. These wooden structures with high,
peaked roofs are decorated with carvings and paintings of cranes, hawks, and other
creatures signifying good fortune. The artistic quality of these old buildings
is such that some people go to the public bath to appreciate the architecture,
not to enjoy the waters.
The decor inside the baths is another sight to see. If you take a trip to a
sento built around 40 years ago, you might be lucky
enough to bathe beneath a huge image of natural splendor. These painted walls
- which usually showed a landscape involving water somehow, most commonly a snow-capped
Mount Fuji viewed above a rough sea - were a common feature of the bathing halls
built some decades ago. But this tradition is on the decline now, as the number
of craftsmen who can paint the pictures dwindles and no new artists step up to
take their place.
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