A rest spot for both island citizens and tourists
Located right by Miyanoura Port where the Naoshima ferries arrive and depart, the public bath known as I Love Yu stands out with its exterior. Designed as a place of exchange between the art-loving tourists and island locals who can relax, this is a facility where you can enjoy art while taking a bath. Based on the designs of Shinro Otake who had a hand in the Naoshima House Project of Haisha which involved turning a former residence/dentist’s office into a work of art, the project for I Love Yu got underway thanks to the cooperation between the creative group graf and Japanese company INAX. With an unexpected design when compared to Japanese sento culture, the world of Otake is reflected not just in its exterior and interior but also everywhere among the bathtubs, bath paintings, mosaic tiles and washroom ceramics.
The amazing world view of Shinro Otake
The bathroom mural of “Female Divers in the Sea” is a true mural consisting of unglazed tiles and illustrations on Gosu porcelain with glaze applied to bring out the gloss and then fired. For both the men’s and women’s baths, two types of murals have been designed. Over the doorways of the two baths, there are works of art placed which leave quite an impact. There is even art on the metal fittings for the showers, and different art can be seen on each of the handles. Aside from the bathrooms, there is illustrated pottery by the toilets and sinks, and art exists everywhere within the facility. Not just famous for the design, the sento also makes use of equipment that is easy on the environment such as a smokeless boiler. At the reception post as you enter, you can get original goods such as T-shirts and towels designed by Otake. A bath set is also sold so you can come to I Love Yu without needing to bring anything. Please be aware that taking photographs is not allowed within the building and that visitors cannot enter the bath wearing swimwear.