The reviews on Google call this outstanding for how kind and sweet the owners are. They are completely correct. I had a lovely chat with the grandmother who runs this little sento. She even offered me a drink, which I declined and bought a beer instead. This place cannot be making any profit. Better for me to spend some extra money there rather than get something from them for free. We talked about sentos closing down and how surprised she was to have a Japanese speaking foreigner visit her sento.
The sento is somewhat attached to an old shopping street, opened in 1953 the sign said. This was the pre-supermarket Japan. Each store had a specialty, this one had chicken, the next one tofu, down the way they sold udon noodles. Everything from clothing and makeup to pickles and tea. According to the grandma most of the shops have closed. I did not ask but I can only assume that this has greatly affected the business in the sento. It is like the dead malls in the USA where the movie theater is the only thing still running.
The lack of a good storefront facing the street also affects the customer numbers here. I have driven by this sento many times and seen a street sign and the smokestack, but never saw the entrance till I visited on this trip.
Upon entering there is a somewhat large foyer that had seating and some drink vending. From there the genders were separated and it became a normal bandai style bathhouse. It is a unique design that I have not seen before. Most places like this have abandoned the bandai and made a front desk in the foyer.
The changing room was large and clean. Fixtures were fine. A very old broken Sanyo brand clothes washer was placed next to the sinks. Changing room washers are rare but you will see them on occasion and typically broken. The ice cream freezer was mostly filled with a thick layer of frost and the drinks cooler looked like it was from the same era.
The bathroom, behind a jammed up half broken door, was amazing. And so, so clean. It was the cleanest bathroom I have ever seen in a sento. The Japanese style toilet was new looking. If you want to try a washiki, here is a great place to do it!
The baths were not so clean. This sento is run by two 80 year olds who might not have the energy to get it as clean as they used to. At least that is what I figured. The tiles, tubs and fixtures seemed to be in good condition. The sauna, jets and electric bath were broken. That is a common thing however for many sento recently. The shower and side jet showers did work which was nice. But some of the walls and tall places needed a good scrub. The water in the main bath was a little murky but smells fine. Inside the tub it needed a good scrub too. Typically when I go to places in conditions like this do not write reviews. Many people might be really turned off by baths like this. I understand. I would have felt the same way 20 years ago. However I have gotten crazier or less paranoid about these things and went in without a problem. The following day, as I write this, I am feeling fine. No weird skin growths or rashes. So Nishi-Oshima is an amazing place. The owners are lovely, the toilet is amazing but the baths are iffy at best. The thing is that the problems here are all fixable. Younger owners who could give everything a good scrub then a few minor repairs could revive this beautiful sento. The neighborhood nearby is gentrifying with new single family houses being built nearby. Highly recommended if you are a sento person like me. Otherwise I would recommend that a casual bather choose something different.