I came out of PukuPuku confused--architecturally confused. Just what style was this place going for. There was retro sento tile work, wooden Princess Mononoke-esque Japanese nature stuff and some clean and stoic stone work all mashed up together.
The changing room wasn't properly designed for the amount of water and humidity that it has been exposed to. Some of the flooring and wall papering had begun to peel under the abuse. In the baths and saunas it seems consumer products were used instead of proper commercial use fans and instruments.
The real kicker was that the entrance and changing room for the women's bath is on the 3rd floor with the restaurant and relaxation rooms. All of the baths are on the 2nd. While not uncommon, it seemed like that could have been avoided in the design phase. These factors combined led me to believe this was a first time supersento for the architect.
The place itself isn’t bad, it just confused me the entire time I was there. Everything else was quite fine. The materials used in the baths was all very good, if not eclectic. The types of baths were varied, including a wonderful extra hot bath. (Men's side only?)
The three saunas were a surprise. This is a great find for sauna fans and recommended for that reason alone. Outside the hot spring baths were aesthetically pleasing had some live plants placed around them. The tub baths were filled with either hot spring or well water. The signs were hard to understand. Either way, they were a great place to cool off a bit after the extra hot bath or the springs.
Not much of a reason to go here unless you live nearby and you have a car. Getting to PukuPuku by foot takes a good 10-15 minutes from the JR station.