Originally Posted by
dinanm3atl
Want to get a real experience so which would you recommend that isn't a 'tourist spot'?
They're all leisure spots, so I'm not sure which is "real" ...
- Small sento,
like this one tend to be fairly basic bathhouses. Expect segregated areas for male and female bathers. Some faucets with mirrors, plastic stools, and buckets, and a couple of big bathtubs for soaking. Most people there will be from the immediate neighbourhood. But you may find tourists who come to soak up the atmosphere of a dying tradition.
- At onsen in the rural areas around Tokyo,
like this one, you will find some locals and some Tokyo-ites who have been touring the area.
- Large, modern, urban onsen,
like this one, attract a range of visitors (Japanese and foreign) from a fairly wide area. These places are more entertaining than sento - You'll find bars and restaurants and a wide variety of saunas, baths, spa treatments etc. Does this make it less "real"? I don't think so.