Youngest Artisan to Inherit "Sento" Paint Art of Mt. Fuji

Handling Roller at One Stretch

As we walked through a residential area in Edogawa City, Tokyo, we saw an old-fashioned building with a chimney. Founded in 1963, Take-no-yu has a retro atmosphere with high-ceilinged, open changing rooms and baths.

At 8:00 a.m. in late September, Tanaka's van arrived at Take-no-yu. With the help of her husband, Komamura Yoshikazu, she briskly carried her painting equipment and ladders into the bathhouse. Mt. Fuji and the seaside were painted on the wall of the men's bath, while the scene on the women's side featured an unnamed mountain and a river, both painted by Tanaka in 2016.

This time, she received an order to paint Mt. Fuji in both the men's and women's baths. She said she would be able to complete the work in a single day. Tanaka started with the women's bath. After making a rough sketch, she ran a paint roller energetically over the original mural on the three- by five-meter wall. Standing on ladders or planks, she shaded clouds and added mountain ridges, while retaining part of the original work. She worked deftly and without hesitation.

Stereoscopic Mural of Mt. Fuji with Color Gradation, Shadows

When it came to the depiction of Mt. Fuji, she started with pale yellow paint. The unexpected choice of color made Takeuchi Norio, the owner of Take-no-yu, wonder how she would make the most of the color. A light pink was layered on top, creating an orange-tinged gradation. Shadows and snow were painted around the summit, adding depth to the entire scene.

With Mt. Fuji rising island-like above the clouds, she added thickly-forested ridges using a large brush to apply and manipulate the green paint, and trees on the island in the lake. Tanaka then added highlights to the leaves and the waves on the lake. After three hours of silent work, she moved straight on to the men's bath.

In the men's side, Mt. Fuji and a waterfall were painted with a different perspective from the original. It was around 6:30 p.m. when all the work was completed. Takeuchi said: "We now have a calming, bright Mt. Fuji in the women's bath, and a more dynamic rendering in the men's bath. I am looking forward to seeing our customer reactions." Tanaka said: "For the women's bath, I wanted to imagine Mt. Fuji in bright light. It was the first time I used those particular colors. I think I achieved everything I set out to do."

Entering World of Painting as a College Student

Tanaka has loved painting since she was a child. She studied painting in high school and went on to university to study the history of art. When she was struggling with a theme for her graduation thesis, she noticed that a contemporary artist she liked was creating works based on public bathhouses, which reminded her that murals are historically an important part of public bathhouses.

When she first visited a public bathhouse and looked at its mural from the bathtub in the steamy atmosphere, the water in the foreground and the real bath water blended together. "I had a strange feeling as if I had stepped inside the painting," she said. For Tanaka, paintings used to be something to be appreciated in museums. She continued: "It was interesting to know that paintings were appreciated in people's daily lives, and I was fascinated to learn that public bathhouse paintings have more than 100 years of history."

She decided to paint a bathhouse mural as the theme for her graduation thesis. When she was a junior in university, she visited Nakajima Morio, one of only three bathhouse painters in Japan at the time.

"He was handling a roller with an economy of movement and producing his work so swiftly. I was overwhelmed and at the same time felt a sense of urgency—if no one were to take over this technique, it would die out,"said Tanaka. She decided she wanted to learn. While still in school in 2004, she became an apprentice to Nakajima. At first, he rejected her because he did not think she would be able to make a living but he relented after she explained her intention to take on a second job.

 "Watch and Steal" Technique in Apprenticeship

After completing graduate school, she started helping him carry the equipment and prepare the location, while working part-time as promised. One day, Tanaka realized that she had yet to learn the "watch and steal" method. "When my master suddenly told me to paint, I could not do it right. I did not remember how he painted, even though I was watching him very closely," she recalled.

When Nakajima was correcting designs of pine needles growing on the island, Tanaka tried to learn how he held and moved his brush. Tanaka tried to replicate his technique over and over. "The size of a screen is totally different from the actual canvas. I learned how to paint by using my whole body," she said.

Tanaka vividly remembers the day when she had to work alone without Nakajima.
"I was put in charge of both the men's and women's baths. I wondered if it would ever really end. I was at a loss and felt hopeless, but I finished the painting and felt a sense of accomplishment. It was a tumultuous day. Because of this experience, I feel I can handle any site."

Attracted to Fictitious Landscapes

Most public bathhouse paintings are of Mt. Fuji, with blue sky, clouds and waterfront scenery. Some 80 to 90 percent of requests are to paint Mt. Fuji and they often allow her to paint the surrounding scenery freely. Usually, one Mt. Fuji is painted per bathhouse, but some owners request her to paint murals of Mt. Fuji in both the men's and women's baths. In such cases, she changes the background colors, for example, a morning scene for one and afternoon for the other to create a difference.　

Tanaka once received an order to paint cherry blossoms and autumn leaves together, while being asked to paint Mt. Fuji with Mont-Saint-Michel, a World Heritage site in France. She finds it fascinating to paint landscapes that could not exist.
She has also painted PR sento paintings promoting the movie "Shin Godzilla," automobile manufacturers and apparel brands. Most recently, she created paintings for the movie "Undercurrent," which is set in a public bathhouse. "I hope it will encourage new customers to visit public bathhouses," she said. "I want people to enjoy them purely as entertainment."

In addition to public bathhouses, she has also been commissioned to paint shutter doors and the bathrooms of fishing boats as well as perform live paintings at events. Some clients ask her to paint specific designs while others just give her an idea of what they want her to do. "It is the job of the bathhouse painter to consider what kind of picture is being requested and incorporate it into the design," she said.

Enjoy Changes in Paintings

Tanaka has painted so many murals of Mt. Fuji. She studies a typical shape of Mt. Fuji by looking at travel guides and postcards, and uses them as references for her design.
"The key is how to arrange the basic mold of Mt. Fuji," she said. "The size, placement and coloring can give a completely different impression."

Sometimes she goes to a public bathhouse to see how her mural looks from the bathtub. "Usually, the same artists overpaint previous versions every few years. Some customers do not even notice the changes, while others take a closer look. I am curious to see how they watch and what comments they can give me," she smiled.