At the historic Sanbonmatsu-yu bathhouse, the main bath has three different depths, a characteristic of traditional bathhouses in Hiroshima.
Some of the wall tiles are chipped and worn, bearing the marks of decades gone by. Located in Hiroshima’s Higashi Ward, the bathhouse was founded in the early Showa era (1926–1989) and survived the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945.
Today, 73-year-old Shiro Takado, the third-generation owner, runs the bathhouse with his family. Having weathered numerous challenges over the years, the neighborhood bathhouse continues its long history.
About 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) east of Hiroshima Station, Sanbonmatsu-yu stands in a neighborhood lined with homes and small shops. The bathhouse traces its history to Takado’s grandfather, Kazuso, who ran a construction company.
“Apparently, he built most of the bathhouses in Hiroshima and even built some in the San’in region [western Honshu],” Takado said.
The bathhouse takes its name from three pine trees that once stood nearby and are said to have been associated with samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The front desk retains the bathhouse’s traditional atmosphere.
A Family Legacy
Takado’s wife, 69-year-old Keiko, works at the front desk. Her mother-in-law, Fumiko, told her that people who lost their homes in the atomic bombing sought refuge at the bathhouse.
“Everything from the apartment building nearby toward Hiroshima Station was completely devastated,” Keiko said.
Sanbonmatsu-yu is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the atomic bomb’s hypocenter.
According to the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb War Damage Records, compiled by the city in 1946, about 90% of the houses in the neighboring Atagomachi district were completely destroyed. The bathhouse’s eastern wall remains largely unchanged from that time.
Takado had never planned to take over the family business. His father, Akira, who ran the bathhouse before him, had even told him that he did not have to. But about 30 years ago, an accident changed his mind.
Takado and his family were involved in a traffic accident while out driving, and he was seriously injured. Although his injuries were not life-threatening, the bathhouse had to remain closed for an extended period.
His father, who was less seriously injured, returned to the bathhouse and began preparing it to reopen. He installed new locks on the shoe lockers, polished the floors and carried out other repairs.
“The bathhouse was getting cleaned up and looking better, so there was no way I could walk away,” Takado recalled.
Keeping the Doors Open
More than 10 years ago, the bathhouse faced another crisis when its boiler, the heart of the operation, broke down. Replacing it would have cost a considerable amount of money, putting the family on the verge of closing the bathhouse for good.
Keiko encouraged her husband to keep going. “Let’s hang in there until we’re 70,” she told him. The family borrowed money to install a smaller boiler than the one they had previously used, allowing them to keep the bathhouse in operation.
What kept them going were the words of their regular customers:
“I just love this bathhouse.”
“Bathhouses are part of our culture.”
Even as one bathhouse after another closed across Hiroshima, customers continued to come to Sanbonmatsu-yu.
“I want to support the people who have supported us,” Keiko said.
A New Generation
Last February, the couple’s 36-year-old son, Yoshiaki, opened a coffee stand called Sanbonmatsu Coffee in the bathhouse’s parking lot. He finishes cleaning the bathhouse in the morning before heading over to the stand.
He decided to open the coffee stand because he felt it was important to understand the family business before deciding what to do with his future.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to decide my future without knowing how a bathhouse is actually run,” he said.
The wall damaged by the atomic bombing (left) and the coffee stand.
Drawing on his experience working for a major coffee chain, Yoshiaki serves carefully prepared, aromatic coffee.
One of the stand’s specialties is an affogato made with Shirabara Milk vanilla ice cream topped with espresso. The combination of sweetness and bitterness has made it a particular favorite.
As for the future of the historic bathhouse, Takado has a simple hope for his son.
“I don’t want him to push himself too hard, but if he can, I hope he’ll keep it going,” he said.
Even after giving the matter serious thought, Yoshiaki knows there is no easy answer.
“I hope we can find a way to make both the bathhouse and the coffee stand profitable while keeping them accessible and convenient for people in the neighborhood,” he said.
As he becomes increasingly involved in both the long-established bathhouse and the coffee stand, Yoshiaki is searching for a way to preserve the bathhouse while giving it a future in the community.
Yoshiaki Takado runs a coffee stand on the grounds of the bathhouse in Hiroshima’s Higashi Ward.
Sanbonmatsu-yu: The bathhouse is open from 4 to 10 PM and closed Wednesdays and Saturdays. Admission is ¥500 (about $3) for adults aged 12 and over, ¥200 for children aged 6 to under 12, and ¥100 for children under 6. Located near JR Hiroshima Station, the bathhouse reportedly attracts some travelers who stop by before boarding overnight buses.
Sanbonmatsu Coffee: The coffee stand is open from 11 AM to 6 PM on weekdays and from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays. It is closed Wednesdays and Sundays. Popular items include the Shirabara Milk affogato, the summer-only iced Summer Blend Coffee, and hot siphon coffee, known for its clean acidity and bitterness.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Mao Fujisaki, The Sankei Shimbun
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