We don't all have the luxury of leaving Tokyo and visiting a beautiful onsen in natural surroundings. I'd like to start a thread showing the onsen opportunities available in Tokyo itself, and I'll start with these:
Etiquette Guide from the Union of Tokyo Bath Houses (LINK GONE)
But now back thanks to
unavaca
AND NOW...
The animated version:
http://taito1010.com/foreigners.html (taito1010.com still works but the link for foreigners doesn’t)
Sakura
Komagome 5-4-24
Sugamo Station (JR Yamanote and Toei Mita lines)
entry 1,260
please see post #4 below
Myojin no yu
??????????
Kita Ayase station (North end of Chiyoda line)
Adachi ku, Oyata 1-18-1
entry 900-1,200, 600 after 9pm (closes midnight)
Tattoos not allowed
http://www.mapple.net/spots/G01301771102.htm
Looks like a great place to go in the evening for a night time view of suburban Tokyo
LaQua
Kouraku Bunkyo 1-3
How to get there This page shoes details of the Limousine Bus to NRT - if you spend a layover here, this will provide an easy journey back if your plane leaves after 10-10:30am
Open 11am to 9am, entry 2,565 - overnight charge 1,890 extra -
No tattoos allowed (please see post #9)
* it's possible to get to the airport a little earlier by going to Kasuga station at 5:18 getting to Sugamo with the Toei Mita line, to Nippori on the JR Yamanote line and to NRT with a Keisei local service - this will get you there by 07:21 - the first Keisei Skyliner leaves Nippori at 6:35am - arriving NRT at 7:29. this route costs a little more - see post#13/14 for hotel info
Access from Shinagawa and to Haneda* LAYOVER OPTION
(*early morning bus to Haneda at weekends only - bus takes 15mins, arriving at 4:15am and 5:15am, and is available on first come first served basis, reserve at reception on arrival)
Open 24 hours
http://www.heiwajima-onsen.jp/en/index.html
admission roughly 1,500yen. There is a shuttle bus from Heiwajima station on the Keikyu line, see website for timetable
Please see Post#41
Access from Shinjuku:
Utsokishi
Near Takaido Station on the Keio Inokashiro line (22mins 150 from Shinjuku changing at Meidaimae)
Price 800 or 1,200 on weekends and holidays
Towel hire extra
Yukari
Chofu Station (Keio Line - from Shinjuku 14 mins 230)
or Musashi-Sakai Station (JR Chuo Main Line - from Shinjuku 22 mins290)
Chofu City, Jindaiji Higashi machi 2-12-2 (A courtesy bus is available from both stations)
photos
price 1,650 (or 1,000 for a one hour ticket)
Yuraku
Mitaka Station (JR Chuo - from Shinjuku 14 mins 210 - there is a courtesy bus from Mitaka
at 20 mins past the hour)
seems to be around 1,500 (
hot stone sauna is 525 per 30 mins)
Easy access from Oedo line via Shinjuku & from Ikebukuro
Niwa No Yu (part of Toshimaen Amusement Park)
Mukouyama 3-25-1
Toshimaen Stations (Seibu Ikebukuro Line or Toei Oedo Line - 2 mins walk
Standard entry fee is 2,250, for late night bathing (9pm until 11pm) it's 1,260.
open from 10am to 11pm - despite it being next to an amusement park, no kids are allowed
Bring a costume if you'd like to use the pool.
Access from Shibuya:
Seta Onsen (see post #2)
Onsen May now be part of a members only club
http://www.aquasportsspa.com/onsen.html
Futako Tamagawa Station (Den'En Toshi line from Shibuya - 9mins 190, or from Meguro via Ookayama)
Setagaya-ku, Seta 4-15-30
English Website (
500 discount coupon colour printer required)
Courtesy Bus from station (every 15mins) or 10 mins walk
2,300 (1,800 with web coupon) - early bird discount on week days
On a clear day you
might be able to see Mount Fuji from the outside jacuzzi
Gardish Spa - link broken, removed
CenterKita & CenterMinami station on Yokohama subway line - between Azamino station (Den-En toshi line from Shibuya - 32 mins, 470) and Shin Yokohama (Shinkansen line)
And they even have a relaxation room for those of us with Airline cabin interior fetishes:
Entry 1,200 and 1,400 weekends (might be closed first Wednesday of the month)
For those who want some privacy (or a couple wanting time alone), a separate room and bath can be rented for an additional 4,200 an hour
Link removed - now goes to dodgy site
Korean Hot Stone Sauna is also available here for a very reasonable price
from Tokyo, Akihabara, Nippori/Ueno (& NRT - Keisei line to Aoto)
Kodainoyu
Okudo 4-2-1 (Katsushika-ku)
Courtesy Buses take you from several stations (Shinkoiwa is probably best)
From ShinKoiwa
TIMETABLE (JR Sobu line from Tokyo 12mins 160 or JR Sobu Chuo line from Akihabara 13mins 160)
From Kameari
TIMETABLE (JR Joban Line from Nippori 18mins 160)
From Aoto
TIMETABLE (Keiyo line from Nippori 9mins 180)
Entry 2,565 open from 10am to 8am
Private baths available from 2,100 per hour
Or can be used as budget accommodation as this shows:
http://www.kodainoyu.jp/furo9.htm (you get chucked out at 7:30am)
As there is a bus connection with Aoto - this could be an interesting place to spend a very cheap NRT layover
Aoto station is a 700 taxi ride away should you need to get to NRT earlier (first train to NRT leaves Aoto at 05:22, arrives at 06:39 costs 890)
Total cost for overnight layover: return train to Aoto (bus to Onsen is free) 1,780 + onsen entry 2,565 =
4,345
add another 7/800 for a taxi to Aoto if your flight leaves early
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Neighbourhood Onsen
More down at heel (and costing no more than
450) Bring your own towel - A sauna will generally cost 300-400 extra
Near FrancFranc, Ometesando station:
Shimizuyu
??? ??? ? ?????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????3-12-3 ?????????????????A4???????????????? 12:00?24:00?????23:30??????? 12:00?23:00?????22:30????????
You can turn up empty handed here and hire everything you need for under 400yen on top of the basic 450yen charge. No tattoos.
(see post34 - recommended by the venerable
QShoeGuy)
Tamagikuyu
Shirokane 3-2-3
(10 minutes from Shirokane Takanawa station and a 20 minute walk North from the Sheraton Miyako)
Open 3:30pm to 11:30pm, closed on Sundays
Takenoyu
Minami Azabu 1-15-12
15 minutes from Azabu Juban Station.
Open 3:30pm to 11:30pm, closed on Mondays
(closed on Tuesday when Holiday is Monday)
Koshinoyu
Azabu Juban 1-5-22 (3pm to 11:30pm) interior photo (men's side)
[
Open 3pm to mindnight, closed Tuesdays
Note: there is another onsen upstairs called Azabu Onsen and this is about three times the price
EDIT - 14 April 2008 - Both are now closed THIS THREAD (post #53)
Jakotsuyu
Asakusa 1-11-11
preview Asakusa and Tawaramachi Stations
Which has a nice rotenburo
open 1pm to midnight, closed Tuesdays
(closed on Wednessday when Holiday is Tuesday)
reviewed in post #43 by standing_baba
Jakotsuyu is tattoo friendly
Rokuryu Kosen
Ikenohata 3-4-20 just next to Ueno Zoo
Nezu Station (Chiyoda line)
Open 3:30pm to midnight, closed Mondays - BE WARNED, the water here is
particularly hot
Shimizuyu - reopened/refurbished 2008
Musashi Koyama - two stops from Meguro on the Tokyu Meguro line
Includes attractive ladies only '
rock sauna/bath' for reasonable charge
Brand new facility (opened April 2007)
Togoshi Ginza Onsen
Togoshi 2-1-6
3 mins walk Togoshi station (Toei Asakusa line A2 exit) or 8 mins from Togoshi-Ginza station (Tokyu Ikegami line)
open from 2pm to 1am (and from 8am to noon additionally on Sundays)
Several kinds of bath here including a rotenburo
Otomeyu
Funabori 7-3-13
Funabori Station (Toei Shinjuku line - East) 10 mins walk
Lots of different baths to try here - there's also a bar with cheap food and drinks
open from 3pm to midnight
(Sundays & Holidays 2pm to 11:30pm), closed on Mondays
(closed on Tuesday when Holiday is Monday)
Tsurunoyu
A little nearer Funabori Station
Funabori 2-11-16
- which is more traditional (but had a 'facelift' in 2004)
Mikoku Onsen
Ryogoku area - 3-30-8 Ishihara, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Further info in posts 21 & 22 in this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...o-tokyo-2.html (review in post 30)
This bath house was highlighted to me as one suitable for those who have problems regulating their temperature, as someone pregnant it was ideal. Recommended for novices unused to >40C (104F) bathing or those who want some effective massage on the cheap (twin waterfalls will melt away any shoulder tension).
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Expensive Onsen not personally recommended
Zaboo Onsen CLOSED - see post 20
Nishi-Azabu 1-2-10 (opposite Roppongi Hills)
CAUTIONARY STORY HERE
price 2,880 + 500 for first time visitors
(see cautionary story explaining what they can mean by 'visitors') No tattoos allowed
check website 'campaign' section for discount coupons - there's currently one that shaves 290 off the entry fee
The Tokyo Prince Park Tower Hotel has a real Onsen in its Spa/Fitness centre
Guests have a reduced admission charge - I think it might be around 2,000, with non guests paying double this. Note: you must be over 25 years old to use this facility.
If you are a guest this this is good value if you're using the pool, sauna/steam rooms & gym
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Onsen Theme Park
Oedo Monogatari
2-57 Aomi - Free shuttle from Tokyo Teleport station in the Odaiba area and from other stations (including Shinagawa)
More info here
Price 2,827 until 6pm, evening rate 1,987 - please see website for early morning and late night prices.
No tattoos allowed
Another potential place to spend an NRT layover as Limousine Buses to NRT leave from hotels in the Odaiba area (journey takes just over an hour)
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HAVEN'T COVERED YOUR AREA?
The Union of Tokyo Bath Houses publishes a map every 5 years covering the Greater Tokyo area. The current one is from 2002, a new map will be published October 007. In the mean time, here's the 2002 map - note that not all bath houses belong to this Union, there are a couple of Sento I know of which aren't on the map.
Search results for "msearch.html" | ????????????????
Click on the ward relevant to you and a map will open with red dots of the bath houses for the area - just click on the dots. Use an online translation tool if necessary. Someone on the Japan forum will be happy to help if you get stuck or need more information
Another good site with photos and recommendations:
“Œ‹ž‚‚‚‰‹E“Œ‹ž‚Q‚R‹‚‰‘K“’ƒŠƒXƒg And a list of black water baths
here
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OSAKA
I found out about this place, like the look of it, and am sticking it in here too
Ikkyu Onsen
ˆ‹x | “V‘R‰ | ‘ | ŠX‚“’Ž •‰
800 (700 for half day admission) open from 10am to 2am
Getting there -
Here's a timetable for a courtesy bus that will take you there from several points in the local area. The most useful of these seems to be Nishi Kujo station (which links to Umeda on the JR loop line) and these depart at 10:15, 10:55, 11:35, 12:15 and so on in that column.
Other Onsen may not allow those with tattoos, I have included this information when I have known for sure
Much of the information from this thread has been taken from the websites of two Onsen connoisseurs: hiro‚“’‚‚‚“‹L & www21.ocn.ne.jp/~spa-mich