![]() Murals at Daikoku-yu | The decorating of the zakuro-guchi soon gave way to larger wall paintings within the sento, a style which still survives today. According to written history, the first recorded instance of a mural in a sento was in the first year of Taisho (1912). The owner of a sento called 'Kikai-yu' in Sarugaku-cho, Kanda asked a painter by the name of Koshiro Kawagoe to create it, and this is considered the birth of sento mural art. Many modern sento's have scenic landscapes adorning their walls. The Japanese love of Mother Nature's splendor is as strong as their love of cleanliness. People loved to get revitalized while soaking in a hot bath, admiring the view and humming a 'rohkyoku' tune to themselves. A large number of these good-luck paintings have been created, and the walls of sento across the country are home to hundreds of variations, many dating from the decade of Showa 20-30 (1945-1955). Please take a look at some typical murals. | |
![]() Murals at Tsuru-no-yu | ||
![]() Murals at Sakura-yu | ||
![]() Murals at Chiyo-no-yu | ||
![]() Murals at Tokiwa-yu |