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Tokyo Onsen

Tokyo Onsen

Old Jan 24, 2016, 3:08 pm
  #61  
 
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One of the things I like doing in the Tokyo area, especially in winter, is visiting some of the old fashioned sento.

In the Ota/Kamata area I found this place...very old fashioned and atmospheric.

http://www.ota1010.com/yu.cgi?no=059,code=e

My interest in it was piqued as it was featured in a Japanology Plus episode,



Anyone else have any old fashioned places in the Kanto area that they would recommend? Not looking for super sentos or similar, but places that are Showa era style (or before)
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Old Jan 24, 2016, 4:56 pm
  #62  
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Mikoku Yu in Ryogoku is currently my favourite.

A review written when I was pregnant is here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11696386-post30.html
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 12:33 pm
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Tokyo & Kyoto first time visit to Japan with some friends. Want to get a real experience so which would you recommend that isn't a 'tourist spot'? Seems like outdoor ones are the real deal but they might not exist in Tokyo itself?
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 3:12 pm
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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.
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 4:07 pm
  #65  
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Originally Posted by dinanm3atl
Tokyo & Kyoto first time visit to Japan with some friends. Want to get a real experience so which would you recommend that isn't a 'tourist spot'? Seems like outdoor ones are the real deal but they might not exist in Tokyo itself?
If you want a "real" experience, then why solicit recommendations? Wander around random neighbourhoods until you find a sento and try it. That would be real.

If you need a hint, there's one nestled in a hilly residential area about 10-15 minutes walk from Chinzanso hotel. Good luck.
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 4:44 pm
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Originally Posted by dinanm3atl
Seems like outdoor ones are the real deal but they might not exist in Tokyo itself?
If bathing outdoors makes it real for you, you can find open air baths at some of the urban onsen (e.g. Oedo Monogatari / Spa LaQua) and in the more rural onsen. I don't know of a sento with an outdoor bath. That's not really a sento thing ...

Like me, Hailstorm sees some logic to the idea that sento is "real." Historically, sento were part of daily life for ordinary people. But these days ... Well, I'd be willing to bet that fewer Japanese people have visited a sento than have visited an onsen. So which one is more "real"?
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 5:12 pm
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That is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks!

I mean real as-is locals use it. It's not just tourist going there because Trip Advisor says to(although that is one reason I want to go to one).
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 5:31 pm
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Originally Posted by dinanm3atl
I mean real as-is locals use it. It's not just tourist going there because Trip Advisor says to(although that is one reason I want to go to one).
There should be a Yogi Berra award on FT.
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 6:23 pm
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No idea what that means and apologies if I am not relaying what I am asking correctly.
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 7:45 pm
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Originally Posted by dinanm3atl
That is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks!

I mean real as-is locals use it. It's not just tourist going there because Trip Advisor says to(although that is one reason I want to go to one).
The fact that it's listed on TA doesn't mean only tourists visit these places...

I've been to LaQua and while it's in a mall, centrally located and accessible, 99% of the visitors are locals... It's still an authentic experience, imo.
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 7:48 pm
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Originally Posted by dinanm3atl
No idea what that means and apologies if I am not relaying what I am asking correctly.
Yogi Berra was famous for contradictory statements like "Nobody goes there any more; it's too crowded." that make me smile. It's not intended as a harsh criticism. I can understand the desire to get under the skin of a country, but there's some irony in being inspired by tripadvisor to avoid the kind of places that you can find on tripadvisor. No?
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Old Sep 15, 2016, 7:53 pm
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Originally Posted by SQ319
The fact that it's listed on TA doesn't mean only tourists visit these places...

I've been to LaQua and while it's in a mall, centrally located and accessible, 99% of the visitors are locals... It's still an authentic experience, imo.
Gotcha. That was probably relayed wrong.

What I was trying to ask if I want to get a true experience outside of Google says "You must visit an onsen when you visit Japan for the first time". I think I relayed that incorrectly in my reply to thread.

Appreciate the info!
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Old Jun 23, 2021, 11:49 am
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https://soranews24.com/2021/06/24/on...sing-for-good/

The Odaiba Oedo Onsen Monogatari management has announced that the facility will be shutting its doors for good this fall, ending its 18-year-run as a one-stop spot for its multiple cultural experiences.
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Old Jun 23, 2021, 12:03 pm
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As someone who lived in Odaiba and had many late night walks to the osnen, this makes me super sad . It feels even worse knowing I probably wont be able to get back into the country before it closes.
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Old Jun 23, 2021, 4:39 pm
  #75  
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Oh dear. Haven't been there in about 12 years (Manyo Club in Yokohama is closer and a bit more to our liking), but if I get vaccinated by then I'll try and see it one more time before closure.
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