The dying art of public bath house painting

The above report from FTV follows a young woman named Mizuki Tanaka who is studying the art of public bath house painting under painter Morio Nakajima. Public bath houses (sento) were once a fixture of everyday life in Japan, but they faded away as Japan became a rich nation, and they’re now closing at a rate of 300 a year. Nakajima is one of only three remaining public bath house painters in Japan, and like Nakajima, they are all old men. Tanaka, who studied Japanese art as a university student, has been studying under Nakajima’s guidance on weekends in the hope of mastering the dying art of public bath house painting. The report follows their progress painting a scene of Mt. Fuji on the wall of a bath house in Tokyo, which ends up pretty cool looking after 5 hours of painting.

For more information on the art of public bath house painting in Japan, check out this excellent 2007 PingMag article about Toshimitsu Hayakawa, another of the three remaining sento painters.

Pingback: Sento: Japanese bath-painting
http://www.jappleng.com Colin

I went to two japanese public baths when i was in Japan. They were both in Hotels and they were both modern so i can’t really say anything ._.

http://www.japanprobe.com James

If it was in a hotel, it probably wasn’t quite the same thing as a public bath house (sento).

http://www.jappleng.com Colin

I know. That’s why i can’t really say anything They were both set up like sentos, though. Had to strip down in one room, sit on the little stool, wash off, then take a bath.

At one hotel i missed the little stool and fell onto the floor. I was kind of squirming around on the floor trying to get up, which is difficult when the floor is all wet. Quite embarrasing

http://randomstabbing.blogspot.com Doctress Julia

Awesome! I would love to go to a bath house like that. And, also, I love Ms. Tanaka’s hat!
http://www.perth-painters.com.au/ Perth Painters

Japanese public bath houses or sentos are a rare experience. I probably would like to get a feel of that experience if I get to go to Japan. I have read somewhere that traditional bath house painting is a craft that not many modern painters usually do. While owners would want to preserve the historical value of their sentos, more modern bath houses now include spas, saunas, jacuzzis, massages and fitness centers. Naturally, painting jobs for these modern sentos need modern painting techniques as traditional painters are gradually fading away. This is an interesting topic and I’d like to know more about exotic Japan in future blogs. Thanks.
http://www.perth-painters.com.au/ Perth Painters

Japanese public bath houses or sentos are a rare experience. I probably would like to get a feel of that experience if I get to go to Japan. I have read somewhere that traditional bath house painting is a craft that not many modern painters usually do. While owners would want to preserve the historical value of their sentos, more modern bath houses now include spas, saunas, jacuzzis, massages and fitness centers. Naturally, painting jobs for these modern sentos need modern painting techniques as traditional painters are gradually fading away. This is an interesting topic and I’d like to know more about exotic Japan in future blogs. Thanks.
http://www.maycee.html Maycee

nice post

The dying art of public bath house painting

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