Machiya photo studio, sento bathing, and Tokyo shopping from A to Z
For photography enthusiasts and people who love old Japan in all ways then never forget master photographer Mizuno Katsuhiko's Kyoto Machiya Studio. Mr Mizuno has been recording Kyoto’s incredible and always changing beauty of Kyoto for more than 60 years.
Mr Mizuno was born in the Nishijin textile district, which is Japan’s most famous and oldest area for weaving arts (often referred to as the east end of the medieval Silk Road, along with Kyoto's Muromachi kimono merchant center; the west end of this Silk Road was Brussels!). His grandfather was a textile designer in the early Meiji period (1868-1912), when the Nishijin area was still very vital and prosperous.
Mizuno-san was very fortunate to grow up in Nishijin, home to so many craftsmen active in such an intense blend of traditional culture and art. This environment had a immense influence on his future. When he was about 10 years old, his father gave him his first camera. With old post-war Kyoto as his backyard, you could say he was in picture-taking paradise. Over the course of his long career he has published nearly 100 books of photos and essays. Most of his finest photos reveal the depth and nuances in Kyoto’s gardens and traditional buildings.
A changing selection of Mizuno-san’s works is on regular display in the exquisite Machiya Photo Studio (call in advance to see if they are open). The studio is housed in a restored machiya space. The main room at the back of the building, with a beautiful hardwood floor, has a huge open feeling. There is a loft gallery upstairs overlooking the main room, and a back room facing an old white-washed kura storehouse. All this space makes you want to linger and enjoy the photos and other art. From March 1-5, a selection of Mizuno-san’s photos of old dolls will be on display.
The Machiya Photo Studio is located on the west side of Omiya in the third block south of Imadegawa, there is a turning red, blue and white barber sign across the street (the second one south of Imadegawa!). The studio is open from 11:00-17:00 (but call in advance, as it is closed irregularly). Tel: 431-5500.
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Content by Ian Martin Ropke, owner of Your Japan Private Tours (est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with Japan private tour clients and have worked for all kinds of families, companies, and individuals since 1990. Clients find me mostly via organic search, and I advertise my custom Japan private tours & travel services on www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps in Japan! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip. And thank you for reading my content. I, Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search), am also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!
Sento communal baths & super sentos in Tokyo & Kyoto
To those who complain about the cold or the heat in Japan whilst on vacation or on a Bleisure trip, I say: Get creative and go to a bathhouse! Going to a public neighborhood sento bathouse or a public super sento bath complex or a hot spring (day bathing!) is a great way to get rid of urban toxins and get back that warm or cool feeling that you needed.
Sento bathouses are very easy to pick out whilst walking down the street. Just look for the noren curtain doorways that have a big red yu or hot water symbol over the door or on the building.
In most traditional local sentos there is the main entrance and then two more curtained doorways: one for women and one for men. In the main entrance, before you step up, you have to remove your shoes and put them in a locker and take the key. Then you pay and then you go through the correct doorway for your gender.
At the counter where you pay you can also rent a house towel and buy soap, shampoo, and basic razors. Note: Most bathhouses are open from 16:00 to 23:00, six days a week. Adult sento entry prices range from Yen 450-550/person.
The changing room might have some features of its own, like a massage chair or even a live masseuse, or an extensive library of comics.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do is also true of using sentos and hot spring baths. Watch the customers around you, remove your clothes and put them in a basket. This can be stored in a locker for free. In the bathing chamber find a place in front of a spigot. Some baths don't have seats; customers simply sit on the floor. Your long, skinny towel is also a washcloth; soap it up and holding an end in each hand, use it to scrub your back. Take your time and make sure your body is clean before stepping into the communal tub, which is, after all, a place for soaking rather than washing. Be sure you've rinsed all soap off both you and your towel. Proper etiquette while soaking demands placing the folded towel on your head, but as you'll see, not many observe this rule!
Tattoos can be a problem in any hot water setting but especially the higher end ryokan hot springs. Check before you go. There are certainly locations across Japan that waive the tattoo taboo.
Best Tokyo sentos and super sento spas
Myojinyu: Myojinyu looks just like the sentos I first frequented in Kyoto in the 1980s. It's iconic 1950s appearance has been leveraged in TV shows and commercials. It's also in an odd location not far from hyper Haneda International Airport! Expect high ceilings, wooden floors. And they also have a small garden where you can chill after soaking. NW of Haneda International and easy to find on Google Maps. Tel: 03-3729-2526.
Takarayu: Takarayu or Treasure Hot Waters has an engawa walkway where you can sit outside looking at a pretty big traditional Japanese garden and lots of koi carp in the pond. Takarayu has been in operation for almost 100 years and that gives this sento a vintage vibe from top to bottom. The waters at this sento are said to help with circulation and inner warmth. You can find this sento near the Arakawa River at the NE edge of Tokyo. Tel: 03-3881-2660.
Azabu Kokubisui Onsen Takenoyu: This old onsen is on a narrow lane in the modern and affluent Azabu Juban area. The water at Takenoyu comes out of the ground below the property, which is to say they have their own hot water on tap! And the water is a little different because of where it comes from. Tokyo was full of large marshes and marshland before it became a castle town. So the water is a mixture of peat, mud and volcanic ash. The water is viscous and soft to the skin. Tel: 03-3453-1446.
Koganeyu: Koganeyu is less than 100 years old but it has oomph and the 2020 reboot was impressive. Basically, they figured that their old clients were literally dying out. So, they focused on people who love a good sauna. Then they added piped in music and cool beverages. There is also a cafe area on the 2nd floor. They even host DJ nights! Details: https://koganeyu.com/ ; Insta: @koganeyu1010
Spa LaQua: Spa LaQua is a super sento, which is a good sento to which has been added restaurants, massage, and more. Spa LaQua has a beauty salon, and a bar and a shop! And the entire bathing theme park is embedded in the wider worlds of Tokyo Dome City, which has an amusement park, many shops, and over 60 restaurants. Expect to spend a while at a super spa. It's more than getting clean! BTW: Spa LaQua's water comes from a 1,700-meter deep natural spring. Details: https://www.laqua.jp/en/ ; Insta: @aquacampaign
Best Kyoto sentos and super sento spas
Funaoka Onsen: Funaoka Onsen, a stone's throw NW of Funaoka hill renowned for its old wooden facade and a range of excellent carved divider panels (ramma). Funaoka Onsen is a short distance SW of the vast Daitokuji Zen complex.
Kinugasa Onsen: This three-story modern sento has steam rooms, a dry sauna and a colorful ambiance. It's located in the Hakubaicho area a little NW of Hakubaicho Station (tram station), which is directly south of the Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku-ji Temple.
Tenzan-no-yu Onsen: Tenzan-no-yu is a natural hot spring and I have been there many times with my family over the decades. It is located about 1.5 kilometers east of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. This is a classy place, and the aesthetics are pleasing no matter where you look. They also have a really good restaurant, where you can chill and eat after as much soaking as you can bear! Details: http://www.ndg.jp/tenzan/
Hakusan-yu Rokujo: Hakusan-yu Rokujo is a simple but great sento communal bathhouse with a good sauna too. It is located just south of busy Gojo Street, a little west of the Kamogawa River. Details: http://hakusanyu.co.jp/
Hanano Yu: This traditional spa complex has outdoor hot spring pools built with boulders and interesting stonework. Hanano Yu has whirlpool baths & saunas. It is located about one kilometer south of Nijo Castle. Details: http://hanano-yu.jp/
Goko-yu Sento: This large sento is on the south side of downtown Kyoto on Gojo Street. The baths are great and so is the super hot sauna. Details: http://www.gokouyu.net/
Tokyo shopping districts you may not know about!
Shopping in Japan is also a Japan travel experience. And that's because the Japanese shop as much as any affluent society. Maybe even more! So, shopping in Tokyo is all about people watching (old people, young people and families with kids). And some of Tokyo shopping areas may surprise you. Here is a comprehensive list of places to consider for your interests and aesthetics. Many of these shopping hubs are located on or near the Yamanote Loop Line that circles central Tokyo.
Toranomon: The Toranomon district is super central to Tokyo and very old. And it is also home to the newest mini-forest of Mori real estate skyscrapers (after his major success in at Roppongi Hills and the Mori Art Museum, down the road from edgy Tokyo MidTown). The Toranomon Hills area is trendy now and so lots of young people and affluent window shoppers. My fave for superb city views (including the "old" Eiffel-like Tokyo Tower to the south) is the stunning Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills hotel (5-stars natch and there's even a free viewing platform if you look!). Near the 21st century Toranomon mini city you will also find the famous and stylish Okura Hotel (Japanese style & design!) and its world-class Okura Museum of Art. For fresh air, 24/7, head to hilltop Atago Shrine via a short but extremely steep set of stairs with handrails to be sure.
Sugamo: Sugamo is known as the "old ladies Harajuku." Sugamo's 800-meter-long Jizo-dori shopping street is lined with shops that specialize in the needs of the elderly. The district is particularly lively on the 4th, 14th and 24th of the month, when the local Togenuki Jizoson Koganji Temple stages a small festival that attracts many elderly people.
Kappabashi: For foodies and chefs and kitchen accessory lovers no street beats Kappabashi street, just west of Asakusa Senso-ji Temple. The Kappabashi merchants have been selling things that restaurants require for over 100 years! Everything from knives and chopsticks to ceramic cookware and the plastic and wax food samples found in restaurant displays.
Jimbocho: Kanda-Jimbocho or Jimbocho is for book lovers: old book, antique books, art books, forgotten books and new books. It is by far the biggest center in Japan for book publishes and book stores of all kinds. It's a short stroll east of the Tokyo Imperial Palace complex.
Roppongi: Roppongi is home to Tokyo's contemporary world of high rises that combine shopping, eating, art and entertainment in amazing ways. The Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown complexes have restaurants, and plenty of fashion, accessories, household goods and interior design shops. The Mori Museum stages edgy international level contemporary art exhibits and is open until 22:00. The wider Roppongi area is home to embassies and thus lots of high-end eateries. Roppongi's Aoyama Cemetery is the Japanese equivalent of the famous Montmartre Cemetery in Paris (where Jim Morrison rests next to famous French writers and composers and poets).
Ginza: The old & new Ginza shopping area is one of Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping districts. The ever popular Mitsukoshi Department Store is in the Ginza (a block north of the classic Kabuki-za kabuki theater, which dates back to 1889). A short stroll NW of Mitsukoshi will lead you the amazing Kyukyodo incense, tea and calligraphy emporium and also the trendy Dover Street Market Ginza. Paul Smith and Zegna and Uniqlo are also in this same zone. The Ginza is also home to many of Japan's top art and antiquity galleries and businesses. And when you want a break you just have to stroll NW and suddenly you are next to the super-green Imperial Palace complex. Or you can stroll to the exceptional Pola Museum Annex to relax in the architecture and contemporary art vibes.
Marunouchi: The upscale Marunochi district lies west of Tokyo Station and is home to many of Japan's biggest corporations. The leafy Marunouchi-Nakadori has partners in London's Bond Street and NYC's Madison Avenue! The modern Idemitsu Museum of Arts takes up the entire 9th floor of the tony Imperial Theater Building. And for great views and fresh air head over to the Marunouchi House Terrace on the 7th floor of the Shin-marunouchi Building.
Shinjuku: In addition to being the busiest train station in the world, Shinjuku is also a major shopping hub. The area has many top department stores, multi-level electronic retail shops and endless underground shopping arcades. If bored or in need of a break just head SE of the station and lounge on the lawns and benches in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
Shibuya: Most foreign tourists have read about Shibuya before arriving in Japan. Shibuya is trendier than Shinjuku and has more variety overall. West of Shibuya Station you will find the priceless Japan Folk Crafts Museum (mingeikan) and the fascinating Tokyo University Komaba Museum. Shibuya is also where the owner of the dog Hachiko commuted to and from work and where Hakicho waited for him to come home even after his master died . . .
Harajuku: Harajuku was all the rage from the early 1970s as a fashion center. Today, it's mostly a youth fashion center on the west side and high-end super fashion zone to the west. This means you can see heaps of teenagers and other young people on Takeshita lane and on the side lanes south of Takeshita. Japan's most praiseworthy Nike mega shop is in Harajuku. Omotesando boulevard runs east from Harajuku Station. After the youth area, going west, you enter what has long been referred to as Tokyo's Champs-Elysees, a tree-lined world where you can find Ando Tadao's famous Omotesando Hills shopping complex, lots of upscale boutiques, cafes, leading designer brand shops. There is even a Prada building!
Ikebukuro: Ikebukuro is a major center for girls manga and anime. It is also home to countless shops and a couple of great immigrant neighborhoods. Ikebukuro competes with Akihabara for most home electronics and cameras and tech acccessories.
Akihabara: For the longest time Akihabara was a place for electronic parts and electronic retails and it still is. About 30 years ago west Akihabara became the epicenter of Japan's otaku culture with dozens of shops devoted to anime, manga, collectibles and games. You can also drive Go Karts around the streets of Akihabara!
Ochanomizu: If you are a musician or an athlete then head over to the relaxing and youth oriented Ochanomizu district for musical instrument and sports equipment shops.
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Content by Japan travel specialist & designer Ian Martin Ropke, founder & owner of Your Japan Private Tours (YJPT, est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with all of YJPT's Japan private tour clients and have a great team behind me. I promote YJPT through this content and only advertise at www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip to save time & have a better time. Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search) is also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!