Kairyo-yu

Trendy, sleek, hip.

This trendy sento epitomizes Shibuya’s energy in bathhouse form. Kairyo-yu is an excellent example of how renovation can breathe new life into traditional spaces.

I have been following both the renowned sento architect Kentaro Imai and declining sento attendance trends amongst younger Japanese for quite some time. So when I heard that Kairyo-yu is both designed by Mr. Imai and drawing in primarily younger crowds, I headed toward Shibuya as soon as I could to see Kairyo-yu for myself. Located a 5-10 minute walk from Yoyogi station, I couldn’t resist the allure of a sento right in the heart of Tokyo’s “cool capital”.

Aesthetics:
Kairyoyu is nothing short of breathtaking. While the traditional layout of a 100+ year old bath house remains intact (two to three baths on one side, a line of seated showers on the other side of the room, a wall mural with Mount Fuji, etc.), Kairyoyu radiates the vibrance of Shibya, and its time-tested status as a hub for youth culture.

Right from the get-go, Kairyo-yu stands out from its peers as a hip and modern space. Upon finding the building in an alleyway about half a mile from Ebisu station, you will find a whale mural that adorns an entire wall of the building.

This does not stop just at the building, as several works of modern art are on display throughout. On the architectural description of Kairyo-yu given on Imai’s website, he describes the motif for Kairyoyu as “cultural crossing and cultural exchange”. This is manifested throughout the space, with its’ signature modern flair featured in the lobby and the mural along the sento/bathing area adorning a futuristic, graffiti style Mount Fuji mural.

The sento itself has a cohesive black marble and tile motif, with some mild blue lighting throughout. Between the lighting and the nearly exclusively twenty-something crowd, this gives the bath house a feeling reminiscent of a classy nightclub. Thankfully, all nightlife shenanigans are left at the door.

Perhaps the example that best illustrates the vibe of Kairyo-yu is that whenever the sauna heats up via an automatic heat/humidity detector, a dim red light would slowly light up the furnace. I found that small details, like keeping a consistent dim-light motif throughout the sento, gave Kairyo-yu a cohesive vibe that significantly added to my bathing experience.

Culture/vibe:
Twenty-something urbanites constitute most of Kairyo-yu’s clientele. While this is common in Shibuya, this is not standard for many sento. Throughout Japan, sento are dying (a nuanced topic which I plan to cover at a later date) due to their clientele being primarily elderly Japanese who grew up using sento regularly. I found the presence of a younger crowd to be refreshing.

Upon entry, patrons are greeted with a sign introducing the staff for the night. Using my (limited at best) Kanji knowledge and a translation app, I was able to decipher some of the signs at the front gate. From what I could gather, the staff were introduced as “tonight’s heat wave masters” and had the names of employees working that night. While only a minor detail, I found that touch went a long way for me in setting Kairyo-yu apart from a standard Tokyo sento. At the same time, I found it endearing and impressive that the bathhouse successfully cultivates a hip feel, while maintaining a small “up and coming” vibe absent from many super sento and luxury saunas in Tokyo.

On the standard ticket vending machine (seen at the entrance after placing your shoes in the nearby cubby), various stickers were placed all around the machine. It reminded me of the Shibuya depicted in the early 2000’s cult classic video game (a longshot here) Jet Set Radio. For those unfamiliar (pardon the obscure reference) Jet Set Radio is a videogame from the early 2000’s that depicted Shibuya’s youth culture through the eyes of twenty-something year old graffiti artists.

On my way out, I noticed several co-ed groups of bathers meeting up in the lobby, appearing to chitchat about plans for the night, and the sorts of exuberant conversations you get after a refreshing schvitz. The lobby itself, while small, carried a wholesome aura, akin to hanging out at a regular friend’s house or local hang out in high school. Adorned with cushiony chairs and a vending machine, patrons seemed comfortable to stay and chat after their time in the sento. The lobby also had a well outfitted store, featuring t-shirts, trendy sauna hats, and merchandise for various affiliated Shibuya based clothing companies.

Facilities:
With its reputation as a trendy renovated sento in the heart of Shibya, I was curious (and perhaps skeptical) what the quality of the actual baths would be like. Thankfully, they did not disappoint, and are among the best I have experienced in Japan. The baths themselves are reminiscent of a traditional sento (one warm bath, and one hot bath). The temperatures are toned down a bit, which I frankly appreciated. Some of the old-school sento in Japan keep their hottest bath temperature close to skin melting, so toning down the dial just a hair was a nice touch.

The sauna (which cost a bit extra) kept the humidity somewhat higher than a Finnish sauna, but still at a level where the dry heat was tolerable. I found my time in the sauna to be the peak heat of the facility, which had me running to the cold plunge.

Conveniently, the cold plunge is directly next to the sauna, kept at a cool but not frigid temperature of around 15 degrees (Celsius) that perfectly contrasted with the sauna.

Directly between the sauna and cold plunge, Kairyo-yu features an outdoor atrium with roughly ten chairs to sit and lounge in between sauna sessions. With some dim outdoor lighting, the atrium kept me grounded and allowed me to catch a breather between rounds, without taking me too far out of the experience.

Limitations/shortcomings:
Kairyoyu had few shortcomings. If anything, the music played in the bathing area was inconsistent, ranging from quiet to American Top 40 radio being played loud enough to hear it, but not quite loud enough to feel like more than an afterthought. That said, I don’t think that the inclusion of “Cake by the Ocean” and dated Drake tracks put a significant damper on my experience (plus seeing the mild head bobbing to the music while patrons were in line for the sauna was rather entertaining.

Verdict:

Modern, elegant, and refreshing, Kairyoyu is a must visit. A near perfect example of how to both conserve and honor origins, while still innovating and embracing change and progress.