Okura-yu, a public bathhouse in Machida, is filling its tub with peach leaves for a "peach leaf bath" (momo no ha yu) on Sunday, July 26. Visitors can cool off from the summer heat while soaking in a tradition that has been passed down since the Edo period.
About Okura-yu
Founded in 1966, Okura-yu is the only public bathhouse remaining in Machida. It was renovated and reopened in December 2016, and now offers a cypress (hinoki) bath along with a far-infrared sauna available for an additional fee.
Rates
- Adults (age 12 and up): ¥550
- Children (age 6 to under 12, elementary school students): ¥200
- Young children (under age 6, preschool): ¥100
About the Peach Leaf Bath
When people think of the summer "Day of the Ox" (doyo no ushi no hi), unagi (grilled eel) usually comes to mind. But soaking in a bath scattered with peach leaves, known as ushi-yu, is another custom that has been widely enjoyed since the Edo period.
Peach leaves contain a compound called tannin, which has long been said to help with sunburn and prickly heat.
