Stephanie Crohin

Author • Photographer • Official Sento Ambassador

About

My name is Stéphanie Crohin, a French author, photographer, journalist and Official Sento Ambassador based in Japan since 2008.Shortly after arriving in Tokyo as a university exchange student, I discovered a small neighborhood bathhouse called Myohoyu. What began as a simple visit quickly became a fascination and eventually a lifelong passion.Over the past eighteen years, I have dedicated much of my life to exploring, documenting and promoting Japan's public bathhouse culture. Since my first visit, I have travelled throughout the country and visited more than 1,000 sento, from historic bathhouses hidden in remote villages to iconic urban establishments.Through this journey, I discovered that sento are far more than places to bathe. They are living cultural spaces where architecture, craftsmanship, art, community and wellbeing intersect. Behind their often modest facades lie extraordinary worlds filled with hand-painted Mount Fuji murals, intricate mosaics, traditional carpentry, local histories and human stories.To me, sento are true museums of everyday life and one of Japan's most overlooked cultural treasures.In 2015, I was appointed an Official Sento Ambassador by the Japan Bathhouse Association, becoming one of the most active international advocates for this unique aspect of Japanese culture.My work focuses on preserving and sharing the artistic, historical and social significance of sento through photography, writing, public speaking and media projects. Over the years, I have photographed bathhouses across Japan, interviewed owners and artisans, participated in preservation initiatives, and contributed to discussions about the future of public bathing culture.I have also served for many years on Tokyo's municipal bathhouse committees and regularly collaborate with cultural institutions, tourism organizations and media outlets to promote greater awareness of sento culture both within Japan and internationally.

Books publications

Over the years, my research and fieldwork have led to the publication of four books in Japan and France, each exploring a different aspect of Japanese bathhouse culture, from architecture and art to daily life and personal experiences.

• 銭湯は、小さな美術館

• フランス女子の東京銭湯めぐり

• Sento: L'Art des Bains Japonais

• Les Vapeurs de Tokyo

Featured In

• The Japan Times – Stephanie Crohin: 'Public baths are a force for good'

• This Frenchwoman is the Queen of Tokyo Bathhouses

• A Journalist Spreads Japan's Sento Culture to the World

• ‘Sento, the Art of Japanese Baths’, an Intimate Look at a Japanese Institution

• Stephanie Crohin: Life as Japanese Sento - video

Bathouse photography work

• Portfolio

Through years of work within the bathhouse community, I have been fortunate to gain access to extraordinary places rarely seen by the general public. Hidden behind modest facades are colorful interiors, remarkable works of art, unique architecture, and vibrant communities that offer a fascinating glimpse into a side of Japan that remains largely unknown outside the country.
Through my photographs, readers are invited on a visual journey into a deeper and more intimate Japan — one shaped by everyday beauty, craftsmanship, human connection, and wellbeing.