A seemingly popular local sento a stone’s through from JR Himeji station, Mori-no-Yu left me happy and refreshed. Not too large but quite well built, the baths all were lined with the same blue, 500 yen coin sized tiles. This very health themed sento had many posters showing bathing courses, bath tub exercises, and notices about health related things posted on the walls. I loved the extra hot 43.5 degree bath that complemented wide and shallow cold water bath. They also had a knee height bath that was filled with smooth white stones for massaging the bottom of your feet. Amazingly refreshing, but quite painful. I know a good sento if I leave it feeling taller, my back straighter, and ready for the next week of work, and that’s how I felt leaving Mori-no-Yu.

Update June 2020: A bit has changed since I first came here about 10 years ago, but the bath here is still awesome. This time I was in the opposite side, I think. Hot, normal, warm (carbonated) and a cold bath made this great for post hike refreshment as was the stone filled foot massage bath. Great place although they will assume that you are a foreign tourist like everything in Himeji recently.