Official

Tornale Nihonbashihamacho, a landmark in the Hamacho area.
It is an office, residence and shopping complex completed in 2005 following the redevelopment of the area. Various events are held every season in the square, such as the Hamacho marche and Bon Dance Festival, which are familiar to local residents, creating a space where many people gather.

Before redevelopment, there was a public bath called Matsunoyu in this corner.
It was an old-fashioned Bandai public bath, but its exterior was different from Miyazo, which is often found in public baths in Tokyo, and it was facing Kiyosubashi-dori, so it can be seen from the other side of the street and it is very impressive. I am. It was just around the present Hamacho police box.

Every time you see the Tornale, which now becomes the face of the area and rises high in the sky, it is your own heart that you can not express well that you remember the public bath that you once visited and feel nostalgic. It looks like

Currently, there are about 500 public baths in Tokyo. Most of them are concentrated in metropolitan areas (23 wards). When Matsunoyu in Hamacho lowered the sign, there were more than 1,000 public baths in Tokyo.

There is a list of business closures on the homepage of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bath Association, and when updated occasionally, a number of familiar names are added to it. While the number of public baths is decreasing, the pace is about one every 10 days. Isn't it almost true that the existing public bath is described as "remaining"?

If you have a public bath that you want to go to, we recommend that you go out with a towel right now. There were many times that I regretted, "I wish I had gone to that bathroom too."

※The public bath referred to here is public bath, a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Bath Business and Health Association (abbreviation: Tokyo Bath Association).

I can't help you. There are still 500 public baths in Tokyo, so isn't it enough to enjoy Onsen tour? The thought of hot water that could not be used is also the driving force to go around the existing public bath as much as possible. In recent years, there have been places that have been renewed and reborn very smart, and it is also nice to revisit for the first time in a long time.

Of the 23 wards, the public bath is the most left in Ota-ku. There is also a sale of Kuroyu hot springs, and a public bath in Ota-ku, which has Haneda Airport, is also focusing on PR for foreign visitors to Japan. Next is the East Side of Adachi, Katsushika, and Edogawa-ku. For me from East Tokyo (East Tokyo), Suginami, Nerima, and Itabashi-ku have not yet been able to attack. There are relatively many left around here, so I look forward to visiting them in the future.

These wards are obvious at a glance when you look at the map. Because the area is large and the population is large, it may be natural that the number of public baths is proportional. In addition, in these areas, you can meet a spacious public bath that uses luxurious land such as an open-air bath of a single house.

On the other hand, there are few public baths, but harbors, Chiyoda and Chuo-ku.

There are a total of nine public baths in Chuo-ku. Although the number is not large, it is a perfect lineup to learn about modern public baths, such as building public baths, condominium public baths, retro public baths, soft water public baths, runners public baths, and designers public baths.

Another noteworthy feature of the public baths in Chuo-ku is that there is a public bath that has been in operation since the Edo period, and a public bath that was born in the 21st century. Even though there is a public bath that will be reopened, a new public bath was born in 2014 in Chuo-ku, one of the areas with the least number of houses, in the modern Tokyo public bath, which is unlikely to open a new public bath. This may be called a miracle.

The "miracle public bath" will be presented in detail in the next issue of the New York Times.

Click here for a list of public baths in Chuo-ku
Central Bath Association Official Website Fureai no Yu http://www.268chuou.com/

A little New York Times - a town walk to enjoy with a public bath - (October 8, 2018)

※This article has nothing to do with high-end daily newspapers in the United States.