Asahi-yu is everything a modern public bath should be: a spacious old building, an immaculate sauna (350 yen extra), three comfortable hot tubs with variations on the jacuzzi, a salubrious cold bath, and a rotenburo in a rocky grotto perfumed by a different herb each day. The mural on the current review wall is of an Italian lake.

The front desk is welcoming and for after-bath libations the sake shop on the corner stocks Bass Ale from England and the delicious Liberty Ale from San Francisco. The massage chair (100 yen for approximately five minutes) will work you over nicely.

Normally, the bath is not busy during the week, but if you hit it wrong, the Keio University Rugby Club, whose exceedingly muddy playing field is nearby, will have descended on the men's bath en masse to clean up after practice. They tend to be rowdy.

In spite of Hiyoshi's being home to the Keio freshman/sophomore campus, the town has none of the atmospheric cheap restaurants, used bookstores and art-movie houses that would be expected of a university town. That's probably because Shibuya, romper room for undergrads, is only a skip and a jump away.

Asahi-yu
2-15-31 Hiyoshi Kohoku-ku Yokohama Tel: 045.591.6708

Closed: Any day with a "7" in the date, unless that day is a Saturday or Sunday, in which case it will be open but closed the following Monday.
Nearest station: Hiyoshi on the Toyoko line To get there: Hiyoshi is on the Tokyoko line, 22 minutes from Shibuya. Exit the station to the left, turn right immediately and go down the hill. Turn left at the lumber yard.