Steam Meets Pixels - When Street Fighter II Takes Over a Sentō

Utopia Shiratama Onsen│picture by Kim Marcelo

In the summer of 2025, the long-standing Kyobashi sento Utopia Shiratama Onsen in Osaka transforms into the pixel-filled world of the competitive fighting game Street Fighter II.

For centuries, public bathhouses have been woven into daily Japanese life. But with changes in lifestyle, today their role and format have evolved, and their numbers nationwide have been steadily declining. 

Seeking to reintroduce the sento to new audiences, BEAMS JAPAN and Cow Brand Soap Kyoshinsha launched the Sento no Susume (“Sento Recommendation”) project in 2019. Now in its fifth edition, with the support of Osaka-based game developer Capcom, the project has thrown Street Fighter II into the mix. The goal: to merge two globally celebrated yet very different cultural icons, video games and bathhouses, to create a new kind of shared social space.

Running from August 7 to September 30, visitors can sweat it out beneath a special mural depicting Edmond Honda and Ryu soaking in the bath, or battle it out on a custom-made arcade cabinet. It’s a space where steam meets pixel art, where the splash of bath buckets harmonizes with the cry of “Hadouken!”, a cultural experience that could only have been born in Japan.

Japan’s Culture Thrives on “Combining”

The strength of Japanese culture lies not just in preserving tradition, but in evolving it through unexpected combinations.

Producer of this project, Sano-san from BEAMS JAPAN explains us:

“It’s about bringing together content that at first glance seems unrelated. This approach is one of the things that make Japanese culture so fascinating.”

Sento No Susume 2025: Osaka & Kansai Edition, is a perfect example of that ethos. For generations, sento have brought people together to share the same water; since the 1990s, fighting games have connected strangers face-to-face across arcades worldwide. While their forms and purposes differ, both hold a special place in fostering direct human connection.

Both Ikeuchi and Sano emphasize Japan’s kakeawaseru chikara (掛け合わせる力), or the ability to combine. Even when adopting Western culture, Japan approaches it with respect and transforms it through its own interpretation. Examples include BEAMS PLUS, which reimagined American casual wear in a way that earned recognition in the style’s country of origin.

Sano also highlights Japan’s “flexibility of thought,” pointing to BEAMS JAPAN’s GATE STORE PROJECT, which works with regional makers to showcase culture not just from Tokyo but from across Japan. Many traditional crafts, despite their high level of skill, are at risk of disappearing. At BEAMS JAPAN Miyajima, the traditional Miyajima shakushi (rice paddle) is displayed as an everyday cultural experience, not just a traditional relic, tapping into BEAMS JAPAN’s ethos toward Japanese heritage.

Utopia Shiratama Onsen│picture by Kim Marcelo

Edmond Honda’s Deep Ties to Sentō

Featuring as the main character, Street Fighter’s Edmond Honda, has a deep connection to Japan’s public bathhouses. In the game, one of his iconic stages is set inside a sento. His storyline even includes fighting in a sento to protect one struggling to survive. It’s a plot point that blends his physical might with a code of loyalty that feels inseparable from the sento’s role as a neighborhood anchor.

Here, Honda has “returned home”, brought to life in a real bathhouse space. At his side stands Ryu, holding a bucket, a playful wink to fans, given that Street Fighter II never shows him without his gi. 

Utopia Shiratama Onsen│picture by Kim Marcelo

How BEAMS JAPAN Preserves Sentō Culture

Founded in 1976, BEAMS has long introduced the best of the world to Japan. With the launch of BEAMS JAPAN in 2016, it reversed that flow, promoting Japanese craftsmanship and culture globally. Sento no Susume plays an important role in this mission, deepening year by year through partnerships with Cow Brand Soap.

Ikeuchi-san, President & CEO of BEAMS CREATIVE, notes that sento are once again being appreciated as places to “relax and reset,” serving as valuable community spaces where locals, and even strangers, can connect. The social aspect of a fighting game match mirrors this role. And if parents who grew up on Street Fighter II bring their children, the result might be entirely new family conversations.

For more on sento’s cultural role, see our feature Sento – The Bathhouse Culture That Nurtures Japanese Community.

Utopia Shiratama Onsen│picture by Kim Marcelo

Designing Experiences Over Products

Step through the noren curtains and you’re greeted by the special mural, pixel-art curtains, and exclusive soap bars.

There’s even a stamp rally that takes visitors to 12 different bathhouses selected from the roughly 160 participating across Osaka Prefecture, along with collaborative goods like sauna hats, tenugui towels, and specially designed Cow Brand Soap. Limited-edition visuals and items available only during this period give visitors yet another reason to make the trip.

For Sano, providing “experiential spaces” matters more than simply selling products. By conveying the story and culture behind them, BEAMS can build long-term relationships with customers. In this project, the sento itself becomes part of the narrative, a setting that stays with visitors as a memory.

Above all, Sano stresses, the planners themselves must perceive the project as “fun.” This collaboration came naturally from a search for Osaka-style, unexpected combinations, and from BEAMS JAPAN’ existing ties to Capcom and E. Honda. 

Inside a steam-filled bathhouse, social status and titles dissolve. In a fighting game, players meet as equals. This project bridges those two worlds, creating an experience rooted in Japan yet resonating globally.

Whether you come for the game, the bath, or just curiosity, step through the noren and you’ll find a space where real-world communication flows, across both the bathwater and the game screen.

Why BEAMS JAPAN and Yokogao?

BEAMS JAPAN and Yokogao share the mission of bringing Japanese culture to the world. Yokogao will continue to delve into the thoughts, craft, and backgrounds of those shaping Japan’s cultural landscape, and share their stories worldwide. As BEAMS approaches its 50th anniversary next year, its upcoming projects are well worth watching.

Make sure to follow BEAMS JAPAN, as the brand plans to continue expanding its cultural initiatives. 

Special thanks to Hikaru Ikeuchi and Akimasa Sano for their insights.

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