There were three public baths in Okura. In the old days, people didn’t have a bathroom in their home and the public baths were essential for them. Asagiri-yu in the east was removed in 2003. Hayashida tatami store next to Asagiri-yu keeps carefully a part of clothes box, the model of the inside of Asagiri-yu as the graduation project by a certain student and so on. Taisho-yu was opened in the early Meiji era and remade great in 1911 (the first year of Tisho era), so it was named after the era. Before being removed they warmed sea water and used it. Taisho-yu disappeared.
Higashi-yu took over Tamatsubaki-yu in 1893 that was run during Edo period and is open now.
Both widths of men’s bath and women’s bath are about 5.4meter, that is as same width as Tamatsubaki-yu.
Its chimney is so tall that the chimney became the landmark of the town. They open Higashi-yu at 2 p.m. after hanging the shop certain at the front door. People enjoy healing their own bodies in the large bath tub of the public bath. After they refresh themselves they come back to their everyday lives. People of the town love the public bath because it is a part of their lives.
Akashi heritage-map “Okura” 2014
It is still remaining along the Saigoku Kaid? (Western National Highway).
It is still remaining
