In Tokyo, Yuko Nagayama Updates a Traditional Japanese Bathhouse

A place where history and hipsters meet, the Koganeyu Shinjuku is a refreshing take on a 53-year-old traditional bathhouse in Tokyo. Designed by architect Yuko Nagayama, the interior renovation occupies the ground level of a low-scale apartment building amid a residential enclave in Shinjuku, a ward best known for its bars, clubs, and blaring neon. “The total number of sento is decreasing,” observes Nagayama.