Out in the periphery, there are still sento that exist as living treasures of a bygone era. Many examples exist on this website. While more urban places have lovely examples of retro sento, that feeling is somewhat different. This sento, however, gives that rural retro sento feel in the urban sprawl of Osaka city. Starting with the painted glass doors on the clothes lockers in the changing room, I knew this place would be special. Now here are the bad parts. There's one bath, and it is heavily chlorinated. Then the water coming from the taps and showers gets scalding hot without notice. This is not a sento for taking a relaxing bath. This is, however, a sento to savor for the atmosphere, tiles, and community that uses it. All things considered, this sento is rather clean, so feel safe coming here. That said, be aware of what you're getting into. The main single bath is divided into deep and shallow sections, and limited drainage on the floor, as is common for sento of this age. What is uncommon is the very noticeable slant the floor was built on to facilitate the flow of runoff water to the main drain. Everything looks like it was taken from a Dutch angle in the bath. Standing up, it almost felt like one of those rooms that make you feel unbalanced at a science museum or county fair funhouse. All that said, this sento is a piece of art. It's a living antique shop and 100% worth visiting if you are interested in this stuff. If you only want a nice bath with bubbles, jets, and whatnot, this sento is not for you. However, if you do go, remember that this is not a curated experience; it's the real deal, so moderate your assumptions appropriately.

Osaka Bathhouse Association website says that this sento is mainly maintained by volunteers. That's great! What a lovely place.

Warnings:
No toilet (at least I didn't see one). Watch out for the super-hot water from the faucets and showers. The women's side seemed really exposed near the bandai, so be conscious of where you change your clothing. Don't use the men's side shower along the back wall in the right side corner; a regular user said it was broken.