Traditional Japanese bath (kama-buro) experience and kaiseki cuisine

People in Japan have long used steam baths to let themselves sweat and scrub off the grime. The history of one particular type of steam bath—the kama-buro—goes all the way back to the Jinshin War, when Prince Oama, who would later become Emperor Temmu, was struck by an arrow and fled to the village of Yase. The villagers built a mud hothouse and warmed it up. Prince Oama took a steam bath in there to help his wound heal. With temperatures inside kama-buro reaching as high as 55-60 degrees, kama-buro are like a humid, Japanese-style sauna. Inside, there are straw mats laid out, and as you enter with a ceramic pillow and lie quietly, your body slowly warms up and you naturally start to perspire. We recommend having a kama-buro steam bath before eating. After the bath, you can relax in a private room and leisurely enjoy a Kaiseki dinner.