Wet, naked, and hot
Among the gifts Japanese immigrants brought to San Francisco when they arrived in the 1860s was the art of sento bathing. Perhaps an early ancestor of the California hot tub, the sento was (and is) a public bathhouse with facilities for both washing oneself and soaking communally with others of the same gender. It can be utilitarian, or in the case of Kabuki Hot Springs, luxurious.
While a modern steel pagoda marks the touristy public square in Japantown, or Nihomachi, the baths at Kabuki shelter a deeper Japanese sensibility. As you step through the doors and away from the busy traffic of Geary Boulevard, a tangible sense of aesthetic harmony and calm sets in. The bathing room is spacious and dimly lit, with wooden lounges placed strategically.
Info
Address 1750 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA, 94115, www.kabukisprings.com, +1 415.922.6000 | Public Transport Bus: 22, 38, 38L (Fillmore St & Geary Blvd stop) | Hours Daily 10am–10pm| Tip Just a short walk away is one of San Francisco’s best restaurants—State Bird Provisions at 1529 Fillmore Street offers small dim sum-style plates of inventive and delicious dishes.
Distinct from other “spas,” Kabuki retains a special communal vibe, which is reflected by the wide cross section of San Francisco residents who patronize the spa. On any given Friday the hot pool at Kabuki is likely to hold elaborately tattooed rock-star artists; Japanese women of all ages; mothers with their teenage daughters; and the waitress from next door, all soaking together—wet, naked, hot, and very quiet.
The baths are open to men or women on alternate days, with one co-ed day when bathing suits are required. Spotless, modern facilities include a hot and dry sauna, a cold plunge pool and the spacious hot pool with shallow seating, as well as Japanese bathing benches. An attendant makes sure the genmai tea, chilled face cloths, and other soothing amenities are well stocked and available. Guests can spend as long as they like in the baths and many choose to add on a traditional or Shiatsu massage, as well. The Shiatsu massage practioners, in particular, are among the city’s best. When you’re finished at Kabuki, all cleansed and relaxed, Japantown’s myriad shopping and dining choices await you.
Back
To the online map