Since garnering attention with a single illustration shared on social media, Honami Enya has gone on to publish a collection of her work in the form of Sento Zukai (Sento Illustrations), a book published by Chuokoron-Shinsha. The sento clerk and illustrator is a 2015 graduate of Waseda University’s School of Creative Science and Engineering and has appeared on television programs Jounetsu Tairiku (TBS) and Jinsei Design (NHK E Tere).
In part one of this feature, we looked back on the twists and turns that formed Enya’s career, starting from her youth absorbed in architecture, and her fateful encounter with sento, a place that calmed her spirits and inspired her to create Sento Illustrations.
In part two, we explore three of Enya’s favorite sento in the Waseda area. This selection runs the gamut from sento steeped in rich history and adored by Waseda students to dazzling sento renowned among sauna enthusiasts, all of which can be enjoyed for a mere 460 yen.
#1 Kinsenyu: A Retro Sento With a Pond and Goldfish
#2 Matsunoyu: A Lovably “Awkward” Sento with a Crane Painting
#3 Sekaiyu: An Urban Bathhouse for Sauna Lovers
Profile
Honami Enya
Born in Tokyo in 1990, Enya works as an illustrator and clerk at Kosugiyu sento in Koenji. She is the organizer of a sento revitalization project. After completing her master’s at Waseda University’s Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering, she started working at a renowned design office, but was forced to take a leave of absence due to health issues caused by work habits. It was during this leave of absence that she experienced a fateful encounter with sento, which inspired her to draw overhead views of sento interiors that she released on social media. After garnering attention, these illustrations were released as a book published by Chuokoron-Shinsha in February 2019, titled Sento Zukai (Sento Illustrations). She has made many media appearances, including on the television programs Jounetsu Tairiku (TBS) and Jinsei Design (NHK E Tere). Her work is currently serialized in the magazines Tabi no Techo and Hyakunen Sento. Her preferred water bath temperature is 16 degrees.
Interviewer and Writer: Yuta Hagiwara
Yuta Hagiwara was born in 1983. He is a producer, playwright, writer, and leader of Kamome Machine. He began his theatrical activities as a student at Waseda University. He has won several awards, including the 13th AAF Drama Award from the Aichi Arts Revitalization Initiative, the 2016 Toga Theatre Contest top producer award, and the top award at the Asakusa Kid Hongyo Reading Impressions Contest. He has appeared in Kamome Machine works as well as plays by Natsuko Tezuka. http://www.kamomemachine.com/
Photography: Hajime Kato
Editors: Masaru Yokota, Fumino Uratani (Camp)
Design: Shinpei Nakaya, PRMO
