SentÅ (éŠæ¹¯, SentÅ) is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bath houses have been quite utilitarian, with one large room separating the sexes by a tall barrier, and on both sides, usually a minimum of lined up faucets and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others. Since the second half of the 20th century, these communal bath houses have been decreasing in numbers as more and more Japanese residences now have bathrooms.
At the wall on the far end of the [bathing] room is usually a large picture for decoration. Most often this is Mt. Fuji … but it may be a general Japanese landscape, a (faux) European landscape, a river or ocean scene.
National Geographic Geisha
Geisha (芸者, Geisha) are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as music, singing, and dancing. They also engage their clients with light conversation.
Gion (祇園 or 祇をん) is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. Geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term “geiko.” While the term geisha means “artist,” the more direct term geiko means specifically “a woman of art.”
Sapporo Ichiban Miso Ramen
Miso (味噌, Miso) is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the mold kÅjikin (麹èŒ, kÅjikin) (the most typical miso is made with soy). The result is a typically thick paste used in sauces and spreads, to pickle vegetables or meats, and mixed with dashi soup stock and served as miso soup called Misoshiru (味噌æ±, Misoshiru), a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavour and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.