Saitoyu
Yanaka, Tokyo
Saitoyu is a renovated sento 3 minutes from Nippori station, the gateway to Yanaka. Everything runs on soft water, from a carbonated bath and an open-air rock bath to a very cold plunge, and there's draft beer in the big lobby afterwards.
Insider tip
Wash at the taps before you get in, and keep your small towel out of the water. Shampoo and body soap are free. Open 2pm to 11pm, closed Fridays. Finish a Yanaka walk here before heading back from Nippori.
What the guides say about Saitoyu
Tsubameyu near Okachimachi opens at 6am, and its 1950 building and Mt Fuji lava rock mountain are a registered national Tangible Cultural Property. Kotobukiyu near Inaricho has a temple-style roof, a huge wall painting and an outdoor rock bath. Haginoyu by Uguisudani is one of the biggest sento in the city and also opens from 6am to 9am. For Yanaka, Saitoyu is 3 minutes from Nippori station.
What's on near Saitoyu
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Saitoyu, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Yanaka Antique Market
Time 10:00-15:30 Station Nippori Station (JR Yamanote Line), 3 min walk
An outdoor antique market held in the parking lot of Enmei-in temple, a short walk from Nippori Station and Yanaka Ginza, under a shii tree said to be 600 years old. Dealers set up stalls selling vintage goods and antiques; the market is called off in rain.
Yanaka Chrysanthemum Festival
谷中菊まつり
Station Sendagi Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line), 5 min walk
Celebrates autumn chrysanthemums with flower displays and traditional ceremonies. Kiku Kuyo-e ceremony at Sensoji Temple on October 18 offers prayer rituals alongside chrysanthemum viewing and seasonal customs.
azkin, CC BY 2.0 Smaller local events nearby
Arawa Za-ichi market and painting show Market
21 to 22 Oct · Nippori Sunny Hall
A market and an exhibition of paintings by Australian artists at Nippori Sunny Hall, run by the Arakawa international association.
Free · Map · Source: Arakawa City · あらわ座市と絵画展
Arakawa Culture Festival: Japanese traditional music Performance
Tue 3 Nov · Nippori Sunny Hall
A joint recital of koto, shamisen, shakuhachi and other hogaku schools of the Arakawa federation, at Nippori Sunny Hall.
Free · 12:00 to 17:30 · Map · Source: Arakawa City · 令和8年度荒川区文化祭 邦楽大会
Arakawa Culture Festival: social dance Performance
Sun 8 Nov · Nippori Sunny Hall
A social dance competition open to residents and a show by the dance federation circles, at Nippori Sunny Hall.
Free · 16:00 to 19:00 · Map · Source: Arakawa City · 令和8年度荒川区文化祭 ソシアルダンスへのいざない
Nearby
Around Yanaka
The Tokyo that survived, cemetery walks and all
Yanaka largely escaped both the 1923 earthquake fires and the wartime bombing, so it kept the low wooden streetscape the rest of Tokyo lost. A cemetery as a highlight? It sounds odd until you've walked this one. Cherry-lined paths, cats sunning on the gravestones, and almost no noise. Pair it with the Yanaka Ginza shopping street and you've got the best slow afternoon in the city.
Yanaka has 8 places on the Roam Tokyo map: 2 restaurants, 2 cafes, 1 shrine or temple, 1 park or garden, 1 neighbourhood and 1 bathhouse. Read the Yanaka guide.
From the blog
Good to know
- How do I get to Saitoyu?
- The nearest station is Nippori (JR Yamanote). Saitoyu is in Yanaka, Tokyo.
- How much does Saitoyu cost?
- Saitoyu is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Saitoyu?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Saitoyu?
- Late afternoon after Yanaka.
Stay near Saitoyu
Browse live availability and compare prices around Yanaka.
Median US$191 a night across 52 listings within 1.2 km for a two-night stay a month out, sampled 29 September 2026. Cheapest quarter under US$140. See the weekly index for every neighbourhood.