A Special Experience of Enjoying "Post-Bath Milk" at Sento Loved by Japanese People

In Japan, milk is made only from domestically produced raw milk. Raw milk refers to milk taken directly from cows, and milk is what you get when that raw milk has simply been pasteurized.
The secret behind the delicious taste of Japanese milk is that it retains its natural freshness without unnecessary processing.
At convenience stores and supermarkets, you will find many types of milk, from single-serving sizes to large cartons.
However, if you really want to enjoy the appeal of Japanese milk to the fullest, we recommend heading to a sento.

A sento is a public bathhouse that local residents use in their daily lives.
Their origins go back as far as the Kamakura period (1185-1333), and they remain rooted in the lives of Japanese people today.
They serve not only as places to bathe but also as hubs of community interaction, loved as gathering spots that connect people across generations.
Painted murals of Mount Fuji or seasonal landscapes that cover the walls of the bath area are another unique feature of sento.
If you would like to learn more about the appeal of sento as well as their etiquette and rules, be sure to check the article below.

For many Japanese people, gulping down an ice-cold bottle of milk after a bath is a moment of small, quiet happiness.
The cold, fresh, rich milk seeps gently into your body, which is still flushed with heat, and you cannot help but let out a soft "phew" as you exhale.
The standard way Japanese people drink it is known as the "Japanese Milk Style," with one hand on your hip as you finish the bottle.
We hope you will try this style and enjoy milk that is rich yet clean and refreshing in flavor.
At a sento that Japanese people have loved for generations, enjoy a uniquely Japanese special milk experience by downing cold, fresh milk in the "Japanese Milk Style."

If you are going to drink milk at a sento, you will want to choose bottled milk rather than milk in a carton.
Because glass bottles do not pick up odors and convey coldness directly, you can enjoy the original richness and aroma of the milk without losing any of it.
With each sip, the feel of the glass on your lips and the direct sense of cold spread pleasantly through your body, which is still warm from the bath.

In postwar Japan, refrigerators were not yet widespread, and sento, where local people gathered, were ideal places to sell milk.
Milk producers therefore installed refrigerated cases there and promoted the idea of "milk after a bath," and this is how the habit spread.
Drinking cold milk after a bath came to be popular as a small treat, allowing people to replenish both fluids and nutrients.
In time, the idea that "post-bath means milk" became a firmly established part of the culture and a symbolic scene at sento.
Even today, many Japanese people still think of milk when it comes to what to drink after a bath.

At many sento, milk is sold through vending machines.
To be able to enjoy it right away while you are still basking in the afterglow of your bath, it helps to know in advance how to buy it.
Payment methods and operating steps vary depending on the type of vending machine, but if you keep the following basic steps in mind, you should be able to buy your milk smoothly.

If you are going to enjoy post-bath milk, you will also want to be particular about which sento you choose.
Below, we introduce three recommended hot bath facilities and sento that combine traditional atmosphere with comfort.
We hope you will enjoy a special milk experience at these places.

Just like sento, we also recommend visiting milk stands, which are woven into the daily lives of Japanese people and offer special milk experiences.
A milk stand is a small shop whose main products are milk, other dairy drinks, and sweet bread rolls.
Their hallmark is that you can buy bottled milk and bread, then stand at the nearby tables to drink and eat on the spot.
They used to be found in major stations all over Japan and were beloved as classic spots where office workers on their way to work and students on their way to school could quickly grab breakfast or a snack.
Today their numbers have decreased, making them precious places where you can enjoy a retro atmosphere and old-fashioned style.
They stock not only nationally famous branded milk but also local milk from various regions, and one of their appeals is that you can enjoy flavors you would not come across in convenience stores or supermarkets.
Here we will introduce milk stands at JR Akihabara Station and JR Okachimachi Station, which are easy to include in your sightseeing plans in Tokyo.
Places where you can drink bottled milk outside of sento are rare, so we hope you will stop by.

In addition to sento and milk stands, there are many other places across Japan where you can enjoy the appeal of milk.
For example, you can enjoy special milk experiences and delicious milk at the following types of shops.
We also recommend trying local milk or looking for sweets and other dishes made with milk at your travel destinations.

In Japan, you can easily enjoy fresh, delicious milk almost anywhere, but if you can, we hope you will try an even more special "milk experience" as well.
When you travel, try adding a sento to your plans and experience the "small happiness" that Japanese people feel as you enjoy milk after a bath.
If you have the chance to stop by JR Akihabara Station or JR Okachimachi Station, be sure to visit the milk stands there too.
Enjoy Japan's delicious milk in all kinds of ways.