“If you see a step up, it’s time to change your shoes,” said Llew Thomas, our tour leader, as we entered the guesthouse. Wooden geta sandals were lined up in a row but slipping into them was no easy feat. It required balance and dexterity to remove our boots and step up without touching the mud-flecked entrance floor again. Wearing the right footwear in the right place is huge in Japan; there are even special plastic sliders for the lavatory.
Completed in 2023 in Komae, Japan. Images by Ju Yeon Lee. This project is the second public bathhouse Schemata Architects has designed. Originally, sento (public bathhouses) quickly sprang up in the Kanto.
Completed in 2023 in Komae, Japan. Images by Ju Yeon Lee. This project is the second public bathhouse Schemata Architects has designed. Originally, sento (public bathhouses) quickly sprang up in the Kanto.