Every time I travel, I seem to stumble upon a great story of bathtubs. My recent weekend trip to Seattle in April 2005, did not disappoint. In fact I had the great honor of touring the still in tact, though no longer used, Hashidate-Yu, a Japanese public bath that is in the basement of the Panama Hotel in the International District. This bathhouse is only one of two surviving sentos (public bathhouses) that have survived in the US. Japanese-Americans of Seattle used the baths from 1910 to mid-1960s.

I read about the Japanese baths in my "Washington Curiosities" book on the train ride up to Seattle. Unlike the "Underground tours of Seattle" the Japanese baths could only be viewed by appointment. With a two-day trip there wasn't much time. I called and found out the owner wasn't in, but my friend Mary and I stopped by anyway. I ran into the same man on the phone, and he said that the owner lived across the street and he would ring her to see if she could come over and give us a tour. A few minutes later I met Jan, the owner of The Panama Hotel for the last 20 years. We were in luck; she'd give us a quick personal tour.

To find out more about the hotel or the baths:

Panama Hotel, 605 1/2 So. Main St. Seattle, WA 98104, USA
206-223-9242
www.panamahotel.net

IN PRINT: A book called Sento at 6th & Main: Preserving Landmarks of Japanese American Heritage was published in 2002 with full chapter detailing the days at Hashidate-Yu. It is published by the University of Washington Press and available at the Panama Hotel.

Jan Johnson the friendly owner of the Panama Hotel

Entrance to Hashidate-Yu, Panama Hotel.

Only this door separated the men's and women's bath

Please Put Used Towels Here: Wonderful old sign still on the wall

Sometimes old hotel basements have secrets. The Panama Hotel, built in 1910, now updated with a wonderful tea-house, still has its past sitting below it. And thanks to historically minded owner, Jan Johnson, the tubs, lockers, tiles, remain just as they were when the baths closed in the 1960s.

Women's Tub. Which is much smaller and in a separate room. Men and women were completely separated at the sento (public bath).

The Men's Tub.

Detail of the Men's Tub

Men's Room: A line of lockers, to neatly hang clothes while in the baths

Old advertising signs still hang on the walls.