With social distancing and quarantine measures in place, it can get stressful being confined to your own home, both for residents but also for local business who have relied on a steady stream of patrons to maintain their operations. But some business have been coming up with innovative ways to continue engaging with their community. Japanese public baths, known as sento in Japan, have been uploading videos of their facilities, complete with the soothing sounds of water, to help people relax and enjoy online sento even in their own home
a 1-hour video from Kichijoij sento Kosugiyu
The initiative was started by Honami Enya, an illustrator and employee of Kosugiyu, which is one of the oldest sento in Tokyo. Located in the Koenji neighborhood, it was founded in 1933.
Enya, who we profiled last year, decided to upload an hour-long video of her bubbling hot bath to the sento’s social media channels. The videos seem to have struck a chord, and is resonating with users. The online sento movement quickly spread, with other public baths around Japan joining in to either upload or live-stream their baths.
I know what we’re going to be doing this evening!
a video from Shiosai Spa in Hokkaido
a video from Hakoda Nine Spa in Aomori
