Goko Yu Sento Kyoto

Goko-yu Sento is a large public bath on the southwest side of Downtown Kyoto. It’s a “destination sento” with a wide variety of baths spread over two floors.

Goko-yu (the name means “Water of Five Fragrances”) is a great place to sample the Japanese sento (public bath) experience. They’re used to foreigners here, so you won’t feel at all uncomfortable. Well, you won’t feel uncomfortable if you are used to hanging out with a bunch strangers in the nude!

When you arrive, you’ll see the bicycles parked outside and the name written in kanji: 五香湯. Buy tickets to enter from the machine at the doorway. It’s all in Japanese. The button at the top left marked ¥430 is for adults. The button directly next to it is for children below junior high school age and it’s marked ¥150. Give you ticket to the people at the counter and go into the appropriate changing room.

Once inside the bathing area, you’ll see a variety of tubs surrounding by individual washing areas. After washing yourself and soaking in the tubs, head up the stairs and sample the giant two-stage sauna: the main room is hot, and the inner room is like stepping into a kiln! One way to last a little longer is to jump in the cold bath (right outside the door) first. Next to this is a large soaking tub.

Well, that’s what the men’s side is like. They wouldn’t let me into the women’s side, so I’m just guessing that things are the same on their side.

After bathing, you can relax in the small snack bar in the lobby. They serve draft beer, which is always good after a bath, and a variety of snacks and light meals.

For information on what to do in a Japanese sento, see our Kyoto’s Best Sentos page.

English address:
588 Kakimotochō Shimogyō-ku

Japanese address:
下京区黒門通り五条上がる柿本町590-12

Opening hours:
2:30pm to midnight weekdays and Saturday
7am to midnight Sunday
11am to midnight holidays
closed Mondays

Admission:
¥430 adults
¥150 children

Nearest Transport:
15min walk west of Gojo Station on the Karasuma subway line or
a taxi from downtown Kyoto will cost around ¥1200. Tell the driver you want to go to五香湯 (Goko-yu).

Nearest Hotels:
:: Check availability and pricing for hotels near to Goko-yu on Agoda.com.

Telephone: 812-1126

Website: Official Website (Japanese)

Where Is This Place Located?

• Open the Kyoto map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

Near To Here:
Goko-yu Sento is located in Central Kyoto. See our complete list of things to do in Central Kyoto, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

More Information

• Onsen, Sento, Ofuro, Daiyokujo and Super Sento: What’s the Difference?
• Kyoto’s Best Sentos
• Kyoto’s Best Onsen
• Kinosaki Onsen Guide

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