A sentou is a kind of yuya (public bathhouse) which receives sen (coins, money) in exchange for allowing customers to bathe. It is said that Japanese people as a whole like baths but edokko's (Edoites) fondness for baths is famous. It seems they had a bath at least twice a day. The reason behind this appears to be a natural climate with high levels of humidity, rather than concerns about hygiene. Water and fuel were precious commodities in Edo and fire precautions were strict, so houses with indoor baths were rare. Most common people made use of the sentou.
