Is it usual for Japanese sentos to offer cheap overnight stays like their Korean counterparts (jjimjilbangs) do?

2/19/2015 2:06:06 PM

Yes, some of the so-called “super sentos” do offer 24-hour accommodation and they can serve as impromptu cheap hotels. The super-sentos as well as net cafes are quickly being seen as alternatives to capsule hotels especially for women.

The super-sentos will usually charge a surcharge for staying past 11pm or midnight and so the total fee will be between Y2000-5000 depending on how fancy the place is and its location (central Tokyo is of course much more expensive).

You would stay the night in their relaxation rooms which feature reclineable chairs (much like first-class seats on an airline). All of your belongings are in the locker room, so you don’t have to worry about theft. There are magazines and pop-out tvs to entertain you (if you know Japanese). Some relaxation rooms are mixed sex, some are single-sex, and some places have both. You wear the yukata or sento-provided pajamas while inside.

The larger super-sentos have in-house restaurants so you really never have to leave.

The only problem with the super-sentos for visitors is that they don’t have luggage storage. You really can only come in with what will fit in your locker — which is just about the same size as a gym locker in the USA — so not big enough for a roller suitcase. But if you stored your luggage at the coin locker in the station, it’s certainly an option.

Also, most don’t allow multi-day stays. They kick you out from 9a – 11a (for example), so that they can clean the facilities. You can take a long walk (with your belongings) and check back in, but it’s not the most convenient for that.

Still, I keep it as an option for when I just really need a place to crash for one night.

7/26/2011 3:43:32 AM

You can find cheap accommodations at onsen ryokan, or Japanese style hot spring inns, if you can find one that will allow you to reserve without meal service. In most cases, people go to onsen with the expectation of an elaborate meal, but there are less extravagant ones and some that offer at least a portion of their rooms without meal service.

However, sento don’t generally do this. A hot spring will offer a public bath (usually with water from the hot spring), and many of them are attached to ryokan.

In general, a minshuku or pension will be the most cost-effective option for a budget traveler beyond the hostel/backpacker mode. Many minshuku or pensions have no English-speaking staff, however.

I’ve stayed in a small number of basic ryokan that offered shared baths for cheap, even in Tokyo, but “cheap” in this case was $45-80/night.

2/19/2015 8:18:37 AM

In Japan, a Sento usually refers to a neighbourhood public bath which has a more old fashioned image. Sentos don’t have accommodation and are not usually open 24 hours a day.

Health Spas or inner city Onsens which are open 24 hours usually have comfortable chairs that you could relax and fall asleep in. It is more of a place to hang out and sweat out a hangover for people who have missed their last train home than tourist accommodation.

For cheap accommodation you might like to look at capsule hotels in the big cities.

6/27/2011 1:40:41 AM

I have never heard of a sento that offered overnight accommodation. If you want somewhere cheap to stay in Japan, look at renting a Karaoke box all night or staying in a manga-cafe.

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Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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