Tokyo lavender bath festival and Sento Day

Each year on October 10th there is a Tokyo Lavender Bath Festival. The reason it is on that date is because October 10th is also "sento day". Sento is a type of public bath that differs from a hot spring, because it uses tap water not spring water. The organization that oversees sento in Tokyo established both as a way to promote the use of public baths.

Tokyo Lavender Bath Festival

The Tokyo Lavender Bath Festival is on October 10th annually. About 420 sento, public baths, in Tokyo, take part in the festival and offer lavender scented baths to the public either on this day or one day close to October 10th. The lavender they use is primarily from Nagano prefecture. In addition, in 2025, they will be giving visitors to the participating baths, a special towel featuring the mascot of Tokyo sento, subject to availability. 

Sento Day

The lavender festival was an initiative to try and promote Sento Day, which is also on October 10th annually. Apart from the sento in Tokyo having the Lavender Festival, sento around Japan often have special offers on for the occasion. The reason it is on October 10th is twofold. One, because it commemorates the Tokyo Olympics which started on this date in 1964. They used the pitch that there is nothing like a relaxing bath (at a sento) after sports! Two, 10/10 can be read 'sento'!

Will you go to a sento today? Have you been to a lavender bath in Tokyo?