Experience Versailles for just a few hundred yen (well, sort of).
This will definitely interest those who are into Japanese bathhouse culture. We recently discovered a building in Chiba that definitely caught our eye. Just a few minutes’ walk from Narashino Station, this elegant, palace-style bathhouse “Kua Palace” looked like a fantasy world in the middle of darkness.
▼ The neon pink sign only added to the fantasy feeling.
Our staff decided to go try it out, and their first thought was, “This isn’t like any bathhouse I’ve ever seen before!” It was too elegant, too fantastical.
▼ Can you picture going in here just to wash yourself?
Kua Palace was formerly known as “Fujimiya” and existed as a run-of-the-mill sentou style bathhouse in Japan’s Post-war era. It was later renovated into Kua Palace, which advertises itself as a spa and sauna as well as a bathhouse.
▼ This building got a pretty drastic makeover.
We walked into what seemed like a real-life Italian set; chandeliers dangled over the marbled floors. Statues of clowns and even the Statue of Venus decorated the entrance.
▼ Even the shoes lockers are lit up with LED lights, giving it a high-class feeling.
Thrown off by all of the classy decor, we were surprised to learn that it only cost 430 yen ($US4.05) to enter the bath (the sauna costs extra). That’s about the same price as your average sentou style bathhouse, just for reference.
▼ There are also massage chairs!
You can also rent a face towel for 100 yen and a bath towel for 200 yen, so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own gear if you’re willing to shell out the extra coins.
▼ And here’s the very helpful…clown…to explain the pricing.
▼ Our rental towel was bright yellow.
Without further ado, we decided to check out the extent of this palace-style charade.
▼ And past the gorgeous automatic doors was…
▼ …Tutankhamen. Who else did you expect?
The lobby to the bath entrance looked like something straight out of a Versailles-style palace (minus the TV, maybe).
▼ Anyone would feel wrong chilling here in just their underwear.
They also have an array of drinks to have pre-or-post-tubby time.
▼ Juice, milk, water, alcohol – they’ve got it all.
And then it was time to enter the bath. We didn’t receive permission to take pictures in the bath, unfortunately, but we can give you an oral report and some super detailed drawings of what our staff experienced.
▼ Instead of the traditional Mt. Fuji painted on the wall of the bathing area, a tropical beach was painted instead.
One thing our staff wanted to let us know is that tattoos, while still slightly taboo in many areas of Japan, are completely okay. In fact, on the particular day that we went to Kua Palace, our staff noticed a fair number of people completely covered in tattoos.
▼ There were also some kids messing around with the bathtub jets, apparently.
Our staff definitely enjoyed the mix of elegant European decor with the traditional bathhouse experience. If you’re in the Chiba area or you’re looking for a place that’s cool with tattoos, you should check it out for yourself (especially since we weren’t able to show you what the actual bathing area looks like)! While you’re in Chiba, grab a bottle of “soy sauce” from a vending machine.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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